Tensions have been rapidly increasing between the Others and the humans, placing their uneasy truce in jeopardy. Simon Wolfgard, the leader of Lakeside Courtyard, finds himself in the midst of the drama unfolding across the world. His decision to shelter Meg Corbyn, a blood prophet (also known as a cassandra sangue), has led to increased relationships with both humans and other communities sheltering the blood prophets. Unfortunately, a group of radicalized humans is defying the rule of the Others in various communities as the Humans First and Last Movement is gaining steam—and is about to take actions that will forever alter the world.

MARKED IN FLESH is the fourth book in The Others series and I highly suggest reading it in the context of the series as a whole. Anne Bishop has crafted a multilayered world, populated by various species, and each book has continued to expand both our knowledge and the parameters of the world. MARKED IN FLESH ramps things up to a whole new level, however, as the oh-so-mysterious terra indigene have become angered by the actions of the Humans First and Last Movement and there may be no turning back.

I love seeing Meg's character evolve and grow. Meg has come a long way from the scared and confused blood prophet who first arrived at the Lakeside Courtyard seeking a job and shelter. Meg is now emerging as a leader and a woman in her own right. I'm curious to see what direction Anne Bishop will take her relationship with Simon in future books.

Anne Bishop's eloquent use of language draws a haunting, evocative picture of a world where humans are merely prey for the darker creatures that inhabit the land and seas. MARKED IN FLESH gives us our first real glimpse at the terra indigene who have remained hidden in the shadows, and I still shudder thinking about some of the scenes. I had thought Tess was the scariest of the Others until reading MARKED IN FLESH, but oh, the damage wreaked by other beings far more powerful has me wondering how on earth humans will ever survive Anne Bishop's world! I just can't rave enough about Anne Bishop's dark and disturbingly beautiful world. If you read just one dark fantasy series, make it The Others.

Book Summary

Fourth in the “flawless” (The Reading Café) New York Times bestselling series from the author of VISION IN SILVER.

For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs...

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