This is a dark fantasy world. There are shifters, vampires, and the very powerful fae-like Elders of the terra indigene. The Elders are magical beings, primal and at one with nature, and they control most of the world. All of these beings, collectively known to humans as "Others," think of mankind as nuisance creatures who are a perfectly tasty source of meat.

I love how topical Bishop's writing feels. Many of the humans are too selfish and greedy to pay attention to the effects their actions have upon the earth and upon the Others. Fortunately, those humans get their well-deserved comeuppance in ways that never cease to bring a chill to my spine. I don't know if its intentional, but I always feel like Bishop is gently chiding humankind for our prejudice and insularity when she writes about the interspecies interactions, and I hope that other readers take her words to heart. In no way are these preachy books, though. Naturally, there are fears about those not like oneself when dealing with other sentient species in Sci Fi or Fantasy writing.

LAKE SILENCE takes us away from Meg and Simon Wolfgard at the Lakeside Courtyard. There are some subtle references to known characters from the previous books, but LAKE SILENCE is set in a new town far away from the original books' setting. Vicki DeVine is a human who took over a rustic and rundown resort that she received in her divorce settlement. Vicki has been fixing up the resort according to the strictures placed on the location by the Others when trouble shows up on her doorstep. One of her lodgers, Aggie Crow, who shifts into a bird, finds a dead body on Vicki's property. All of a sudden, Vicki and her property are in the center of a deadly mystery, and Vicki must decide if she can turn to the Others around her for help.

I desperately miss Meg and Simon, and I hope with all my heart that we'll check back in with them as the series progresses. There is a subtle bit of romance in LAKE SILENCE, as with the previous books, but the main focus is on a cast of many characters, both human and Other, and how they interrelate. The gritty and dark fantasy series continues to satisfy, and Bishop's LAKE SILENCE gripped me tightly by the throat and dragged me along for a taut and gratifying ride.

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