Marked In Flesh (A Novel of the Others)

Continuing the 'fish out of water' tale, the now freed blood prophet Meg Corban, explores the similar but strange world of sentient animals, the 'Terra Indigene '. Blending the comical confusion of human personal interaction, we experience an outsiders view of our world from the viewpoint of Meg, & the Local animals(Terra Indigene). I especially love the relationship from Sam, the emotionally damaged orphan wolf pup, his Uncle Simon Wolfguard, & 'The Meg'. Read this book, you laugh & almost cry.

This was an installment that focused on character and world building. I read a lot of review before I bought this book and honestly most of the reviews were wrong. This was one of the easiest of this series to read and it was worth my time. It's very interesting to see how she puts the elementals, terra indigene and humans together in a way that works. I also love the thought process she lays out of each character. This is an excellent edition to the series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Loved it! For me the book operated on two levels. Big dramatic change and quiet character growth. I found it both exciting and thoughtful -- what more could I want?

...I thought of writing a longer review, but I'd be tempted to share spoilers. It was a lovely book that I intend to re-read. Possibly this weekend!

I am so in love with this series. The characters, the world Anne Bishop has built and the very strong character arcs for the main characters. I got very sad at one point due to an important part of the story line (and wished it didn't happen) but I already want the next one so I hope Ms Bishop is already hard at work.

Another great installment from Ms Bishop. This one was a little harder to get into, as there is a lot going on and the focus keeps shifting. But once I got a handle on the various characters, the plot became riveting and I could,t put it down. Well done. I strongly readers to read this series.

I definitely thought this book is the most exciting one of the series up to date. There's so much going on all over the world and the choices people are making are having serious effects. I like the new characters that were introduced and could definitely see the author fleshing out those storylines in upcoming novels. At first I was a little annoyed that the story kept jumping from perspective to perspective but ultimately it helped build the suspense and I've got to say there were parts of this book that gave me chills. There are some seriously scary things that go bump in the night! I've read both this series and The Black Jewel trilogy and I much prefer this storyline. Can't wait to see what happens!

This series has been so interesting! A friend recommended it to me and I was very sceptical but, something different is good for the brain. If I was a character in these books, I would have to be one of the Others!

Marked in Flesh is the fourth book in Anne Bishop’s the Others series. This book is about a group of humans, known as the Human First Movement, who have decided they had enough of the Others. This group proceeds to conduct a series of attacks on the Others forgetting the contracts they signed with the Others centuries ago. The Others who come to retaliate are the elders and human blood will be shed. The only question is are there any humans worth saving?

This book hit a lot of nerves with me. I could not help but to make parallels to life today in the United States. A lack of clean drinking water in Flint, the Standing Rock Sioux protesters and the Dakota Access Pipeline, fracking and a general sense of entitlement. It pleased me I think to read a book about how the horrific actions of a few can misguide the masses and leave others to pay for the consequences of their actions. Yet despite this there are a few human and others who want to find a middle ground and find peace.

Outside of my own personal reaction I did enjoy the story. I missed Meg and Simon. While they stay central to the story we are introduced to a lot of new characters, the setting is also expanded so we can get a sense of how big this world really is. The downside of these choices is Simon and Meg do not get as much page time. As we move forward in this series I wonder if they will continue to take a backseat? I loved the worldbuilding and the descriptions of the characters both the Others and Humans.

Overall a great story and I would not recommend reading this book as a stand alone.

This series is exceptional!I am always excited to read the next book,and am anxious for the continuation of these stories. Anne Bishop is an imaginative story teller and I thank her for hours of entertainment!

Anne Bishop does it again! When she publishes a book I just automatically buy it. I think I've read every one she's authored and have loved all of them. This series forces one to view the human race through different eyes. This is a tale well told, and a nice wrap up to the series.

I had enjoyed the previous three enough to get the fourth in the series. I wanted to like it, and made myself read it all to see if my initial misgivings would resolve. Nope. I cannot recommend this book to anyone, even fans of the author. Two dimensional characters, a weak and vacillating heroine, a bizarre obsession with stockpiling toilet paper and books. The meandering plot gave portents of cataclysmic events that, in the end, were so elided in the narration that they were almost lost among the tedious details of which cereal to buy and how many sanitary products to order. As a long-time reader of urban fastasy, I found the slow pace, highly telegraphed punches, and absence of plot twists did nothing to enliven the cardboard cut-out cast. In particular, I found the treatment of the character Twyla just plain offensive. Was point did it serve having the most senior "brown skinned" woman undertake roles as a cook, cleaner and unpaid nanny? I wondered if I was reading an ante-bellum Southern novel at that point, not urban fastasy. The main male character repeatedly ponders how much human should be kept. If the humans living in this book were a representative sample, the logical answer would be "none".

By Far this series is Anne Bishops best work!!! This is one of the best UF series I've ever read. I would recommend this book to people who like Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Kelly Armstrong and Jane lynksgold

Can the dynamics between humans/others/blood prophets get more tangled? Oh yes it can! I laughed (meal in a can! Just wait for it), teared up as HFL really messed up with the bison/others. Sorry I'm trying not to give spoilers. But, loved the whole book! Think I'll retread it now!

Each of the books in this series have explored interesting characters and the way they relate to each other according to the Own unique species. Throw in some suspense, good dialog, a bit of scary action and what more could you ask for in a book. Oh, yes, and a basic grounding in ethics rounds it all out.

Anne Bishop has another winner with this series! In many ways this is a twist on an alternate earth with something other than humans as the highest level of predator. The character driven story line should come as no surprise to anyone who has enjoyed any of Bishop's series.

Please can I have more....... I love the world concept. The Others , including shifters and vampires control most of the world's land and resources. They find humans to be useful and tasty. If you aren't useful meat, you've just meat. The series starts with the beginning of the first true friendship between some Others and a special human called a blood prophet. In this latest book, the story arc of the greedy Humans First and Last Party comes to a tragic finale. If you haven't read the series, buy the first one now. If you follow the series, you aren' t reading this review. You've already read the book.

Okay so right off: I *LOVE* both this book specifically and this series as a whole.

I do have a few thoughts about the storyline, and to discuss them, I must disclose details and elements of the plot of this latest book. To put it more simply, SPOILER ALERT!!!

Seriously, spoilers ahead.

Okay, so I just reread this book for probably the eighth or ninth time and it only just occurred to me that if the Elders and the storms have now purged Thaisia of all the HFL, it's likely that we'll never find out who killed Daphne Wolfgard. This only occurred to me because they never mention her at all in the book, which is understandable given that in addition to Lakeside, Great Island, and Sweetwater, this book also has chapters taking place in Prairie Gold and Cel-Romano, as well as random places in Namid where Ocean is doing things. My point is that the book's focus has grown from just Lakeside to all of these other places and we have lost a few of the smaller details along the way, like Daphne. I know it seems like a long time but Meg still hasn't been in Lakeside a full year which means Daphne hasn't been dead more than 3 years.

That said, SO MUCH happened in this book it's not like I even noticed it until I read it again for like the 9th time. This book was so action-packed and I loved it because the previous 3 books felt like the humans kept hammering at the earth natives and getting too big for their britches because they never really got in any trouble for it and in this book the earth natives (well, Ocean, the Elementals and the Elders at least) finally hit back!! It was really cathartic, in a way. It sucks that humans died I guess but they were s***ty humans anyway.

I would like to see more happen between Simon and Meg, and perhaps a few of the other couples they hinted at in this book, but especially Simon and Meg. I liked that they went so slow, but four books, really? There was barely any movement on that front in this book and like I've said there was enough action to make up for it I suppose but now I have to wait for the next book to see what happens and hope they move forward more than a half step? I love them together, I love that they're being so slow and careful but come ON. Reward me for my patience in book 5, yeah? :-)

I've heard this argument that the expansion of the scope of these books from just Lakeside to a good portion of the world now is ruining the books. I STRONGLY disagree. The whole point, I think, of Meg's interactions with the Lakeside Courtyard are that she's like this tiny pebble that created ripples that became waves throughout Namid. I think from the first book it was headed in that direction and Bishop would be doing us a disservice if she didn't explore that very important aspect of Meg's character. It changes the nature of each of the books, yes, but that's what keeps them from becoming stale and repetitive, I think. It's a very organic change each time, and it works with the story. But it is true that certain new character development (Tolya, Barb?) and smaller details (Daphne) are lost just because they'd make the book too long otherwise and that does sort of suck, but it's a trade off, and one I'll happily make as long as Bishop stays true to the main characters and to the story. It's worked perfectly for 4 books (but now really lets speed up the Simon and Meg thing ok?).

I also wonder in terms of plot where they go from here. What does book 5 look like after the HFL and Cel-Romano are gone? I would love to hear what people think...

This Series just gets better & better. This installment left very few loose ends and those are minor. Once I started to read this book I couldn't stop until I was finished. It was dark, suspenseful, hopeful, and thoughtful. I can't wait for the next book, though how Bishop will be able to top it I don't know. What else is left to tell of the story? Other than how the romance between Meg and Simon turns out. More characters--this universe keeps expanding. I like this series even better than The Dark Jewels.

Another 5 star review for the Others. Seriously, this series is on fire.

This series follows soon after Vision in Silver, and picks up following Meg and Simon and the rest of the characters as they try to figure out how much human to keep, and how to deal with the coming crises.
I won't say much more than that because I definitely do NOT want to spoil this book for anyone. Do not hesitate to buy a copy of Marked in Flesh, you will not be disappointed.
What to expect from this book:
The same writing style with a primary focus on Meg and Simon, but with quite a few compelling chapters that deal with other settlements and other characters.
The same group of well developed characters but with the addition of some new ones that are refreshing, and a few who seem to be on the bench/MIA for this book.
A rich and fulfilling story full of suspense and twists, but with a steady pace. This book, like all the others in this series, will not have you flipping pages just to get to more interesting content. You will be drawn into every word of every page, from beginning to end.

5/5 stars for the story line, use of character, and the fantastic suspense from beginning to end.

This series is one of the best I have ever read, and the addition and subtraction of characters is masterfully done as is the story itself. If you have not read any books in this series you will need to start at the beginning to understand the story thus far. The book order is:
Written in Red
Murder of Crows
Vision in Silver
Marked in Flesh

PS - do we REALLY have to wait a whole year for the next one? hopefully after the story arc concludes we get some short stories that delve more into the supporting characters back stories. seems like there would be a lot of potential there.

Anne Bishop builds wonderful worlds. You are immersed and totally vested in what is happening with the story. You can almost believe this is your world, in reading her stories. Fantastic author. I hope there is more in this series.

love this author; there were a lot of characters so it was slightly more confusing than other books-I think I prefer fewer characters but this is an excellent series and if you have been reading the rest you will definitely want to check this one out.

love this author; there were a lot of characters so it was slightly more confusing than other books-I think I prefer fewer characters but this is an excellent series and if you have been reading the rest you will definitely want to check this one out.

This book was very disappointing for me. It felt like a string along book. It really seems to me that the story could have ended here (and probably should have). I'm not sure how much more can be milked from this one. Again, really disappointed and Bishop is one of my top fives!

As some of the other reviewers have pointed out, this installment was lacking some of the luster of the previous books. Some spoliery notes below........
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Along with others, I agree that there are too many different areas and characters in this one. Side characters received more attention that those of our main ones and Lakeside itself. There is less interaction of Meg and the others to some extent because of this. Yes, I also agree with others about the repetitiveness. While I do enjoy reading about Jackson and Hope and I admit to liking Stavros and Tolya, I wasn't interested in the new wolfgard/inuits groups brought into this book. In fact, I skipped their parts in my first read. I'm curious to see what happens with Tolya but I don't want it to over shadow others. I would prefer that Bishop keep some of these places and characters smaller and maybe do short stories on them like she did with the black jeweled series versus using up the main books for it.

That being said, one side character I really wish we would get interactions with is Theral. Once again she is very limited and even non-existent in places you would actually expect her to be. Not that I don't love Merri Lee and Ruthie but I'd like Theral around more as she's suppose to be part of their group. Also, there is the continuing thread of her characters storyline in the series since book two with her ex and yet we still know very little about her. In fact, Meg is more central to the continuing of that story thread than Theral herself. I actually think we could get more of her if we spent more time in our main courtyard.

The progression of Simon and Meg's relationship for the past three books has flowed really well. This go around, it seemed to stall in place until the very end. I think in this regard Bishop may have found herself with one book too many and needed the progression to stretch.

Probably my biggest concern at this point is our upcoming ending. I think there are enough characters, potential relationships, and potential stories to fill out short novels and novellas, maybe even branch off to a different areas for a couple of books. Yet before any of this, we need the last book and my worry is that instead of having those novellas and extra books, it's all going to be crammed in book 5 and we'll have a sub par ending versus one that leaves you closing the book hoping forward to a potential short story. I also don't want to see Bishop being pushed to do more than she is wanting and end up with a fairly dismal dismantling of the series in order to not have to write anymore -as done with the black jewels series.

I still recommend reading and purchasing this book for what it does have and I will still buy the next one. I just hope it goes well.

Marked in Flesh is another excellent entry in Bishop's Others series. The interweaving of the stories (and lives) of the humans and Others is masterful, and the introduction of the Elders adds just the right note of terror of the unknown. Bravo!

Another book in an excellent series of books! This book too sucks you in and is hard to put down. Marked in flesh extends the story of the others and Meg in a new direction while putting her and Simon closer together. I love this series and can't wait to see what happens next.

Amazing writing. Commanded to anybody who thinks it's supernatural world mixed with the real world. It's fresh take on the supernatural but with out going to far outside the box as to make sense of the genre be uncomfortable.

I enjoy all of the characters the relationships they have. The story is a nice change too. It is fresh from my perspective. The fact that all humans are being judged, for the hateful things they have done in the name of greed, not to mention the human ability to feel they they are omnipotent. Makes this an interesting book.

The world of the other interacted directly with the human inhabitants and it was intense . The sweet bloods are growing and developing new methods of expression . this was a truly exciting and interesting book set in an unique universe.

The saga continues! This book isn't as focused on Meg as the others are. It focuses on the survival of the courtyard. The HFL kicks their antagonism up a few notches. We find out more about the Elders. And we see life continue.

Anne Bishop does not disappoint. This book continues to develop the rich narrative of this unique world. Simon and Meg both continue to evolve separately and as a couple. It is a frightening but not unfair view of humanity.

Interesting take on the paranormal with this author the humans are not the highest on the food chain. I am intrigued with this author and I never get bored as I'm reading. I hope she continues this series since I'm a big fan.

This is such an interesting twist on urban type fantasy. The characters are strong ¿ The story is fast paced without glossing over important detAils that would add to its development. Ann bishopric a good writer

Wonderfully long and in depth. Beautifully detailed. Anne Bishop is the best author ever. I can't wait for the next edition of this series to come out. It's really silly that I can't write less than 20 words for a review.

This series by Anne Bishop is a brilliant reimagining of a different kind of Earth. If humans were not the dominant species. Many current social issues are dealt with within a fantasy framework that will keep you both entertained and thoughtful.

In Bishop’s carefully constructed alternative world, powerful beings known as the Others keep watch over humans in an effort to keep them from damaging the planet and destroying entire species through their greed. Although agreements were made between humans and the Others, the Humans First and Last movement have been working tirelessly to champion their cause, wipe out the Others and take everything. Those humans who disagreed with HFL are terrorized or killed so the Others of Lakeside Courtyard decided to provide shelter to an ever increasing group of humans who have nowhere else to go. The HFL had no real idea what they were dealing with when they launched the last phase of their plan to eradicate the Others but the fragile cassandra sangue or blood prophets were terrified at the visions they were seeing. As Lakeside Courtyard blood prophet Meg Corbyn seeks a way for all the cassandra sangue to see visions without having to cut their sensitive skin, she must deal with her own addiction to the euphoria that accompanies cutting. Simon Wolfgard, leader of Lakeside Courtyard and indeed all the courtyard occupants must come to terms with the coming storms while deciding, quite literally, how much human to keep when the Elders come out of the wildlands.

If you haven’t yet discovered the Others series, stop everything, run out and get all four books of what is one of the finest fantasies currently available. While the world building and character development is top notch, it is the underlying social issues that really makes the series. Never preachy but always spot on, Bishop manages to touch on complex, compelling problems that have faced humanity for centuries in the context of an engrossing tale.