You will need to read the first three books in this series to understand what is occurring in this book. While there are times when Bishop does take the time to recap some of the past events these do not make up for actually reading the previous books; Written in Red, Murder of Crows and Visions in Silver.
Anne Bishop is back with the latest book in her Other series and this time the humans may have pushed the Other too far that only one species could be left standing:
The Others have allied themselves with the sweet bloods (cassandra sangue) and this has change the dynamics between the Others and Humans especially in Lakeside Courtyard, who are discovering that Humans may have some uses when they are friends. The Humans First and Last group wants to see the other eliminated and will take drastic steps in order to make that happen even if it means attacking other humans. The Others are pushed to make a choice, that not everyone is going to like and not everyone is going to survive, but there are some other factors at play too, hidden deep in the forests who are now taking note of the Human problem.
This book was Awesome and it was what I wanted the third book to be. It really moved the story forward with increased the tension between human and the Others. I really enjoyed how Bishop had events play out and while things at times may have been predictable (in the end) it was still a really interesting ride on how we get there.
I love the way that Simon and Meg's relationship has progressed throughout the books. I think I have applauded Bishop many times for not forcing it and letting it grow as they get to know each other. There are some big steps taken in this book and I think those steps mean so much more as to how Simon and Meg got here.
This book is quite a bit darker than the previous three and it was quite a bit more gory at times than the first 3 as well, which I was shocked that Bishop went that way but happy that she did. A lot of the topics that she brings up in this book I think were better portrayed with the descriptions that she used. This has to do mainly with the introduction of some new Others (/elders), that the Others that we have come to know in the past few books are afraid of (now that is saying something). I personally hope that there are these new Others in the next book as they are probably the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much; Something new and something unknown.
I will say that we are almost getting to the point where there are too many points of view that some of the main characters from the beginning are lacking on time within this book and with the ever expanding territory that Bishop seems to be covering this may not get better.
I do wonder where Bishop will take the series from here as there were some very finale moments in this book which makes me wonder will there be more and in what way will the story progress. I guess this means that I just want to read the next book even more just to see where Bishop is taking us.
Enjoy!!!
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This book could be read as a stand alone novel as it is not entirely necessary to read the previous three in the series to understand what is occurring in this book or Rachel as a character. Yes, the relationships within the book are established in the previous three books Guilt by Association, Guilt by Degrees and Killer Ambition, however, by not reading them does not hinder this book. That said I would recommend the previous books especially Guilt by Association (which I thought was a fantastic start to this series).
Marcia Clark is back with the newest installment of her Rachel Knight series just in time to let you know that there is no place where you can be safe:
Rachel Knight receives a call that no DA wants, there has been a school shooting and there are major casualties but the killers have been identified and both are dead. As Rachel and Bailey start to interview the witnesses and other student, some things don't add up and they begin to wonder if the killer really are dead. What they don't know is the the competition has begun and there is nothing scarier that killers who want to be the best and beat the score of those who came before them.
I know I criticized the last Rachel Knight book for not having enough time in the courtroom, well this one has even less time. For me this is what stood out for me in Clark's previous books in this series was the integration of the investigation and the courtroom. I miss the courtroom aspects in these books and I think this book could have been something more if Clark had decided to include them. I personally think that there are so many authors out there that write in the mystery/thriller genre that you want to do something different to stand out and this is the courtroom for Clark. She knows how the courtroom works and this is where Rachel really shines. In the investigation part she really is second fiddle to Bailey (which makes sense as she is the detective), however, the point of view of the story is from Rachel so we get a lot of Bailey already thinking and doing something before Rachel even suggests it. This in turn overshadows Rachel and her character, and I will say again she is the main character. I just feel overall the Rachel I loved in the beginning of this series has become lost along the way.
All of that said, this is still a really good and interesting read and I loved the topic and premise that Clark decided to focus on, school shooting and the competition aspect. I think that this is an under used topic in books recently but I think the next school involved aspect will be something to do with the Creepy Clowns (such a weird trend). Clark did a really good job in hiding and changing you idea of who the second shooter is and I will say that she kept me guessing right till the end.
I personally think there is a lack of really great courtroom procedural books out there with a character like Rachel Knight and I hope that Clark in the future has Rachel return to the courtroom. This book is still good without it, but there are so many books out there with a "crime fighting duo" that I wanted more from what I originally liked from this series. I will read the next book in the series just to see where Clark takes it next, guess it really isn't a must read for me know though.
Enjoy!!!
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Wow, truly wow. I never thought that I would make it to one blogoversary and now I'm having my sixth. I just want to take this moment to thank all my followers new and old for stopping by and reading my reviews each week. It is nice to know that every once in awhile I help someone find a new author, book or series to try. I also want to thank the authors this year who took the time to complete an interview with me and I hope everyone enjoyed reading their answers.
Winners have been chosen and contacted so please check your email to see if you have one.
Here is to my sixth year and on to the seventh, which i'm sure will have some more great finds and reads.
J9
If you are reading this series because you like the TV show I will say that they are very much different from the book. Some of the characters have the same names and professions but that is where the similarity ends between the two. However, I have only watched the first season so I cannot say if the second season is more like the books.
If You are interested in reading this book then you will want to pick up the first book in this series Zoo, as it explains how we as humans have destroyed the balance of the world and what should be done in order to rectify it.
James Patterson is back with his Zoo type of an Apocalypse where everything is about to become even more personal:
Oz thought he had found a way to save the human race, but the human is anything but adaptive as a whole. The animals are more violent than ever and humans are their prey. Never stray far from your home, make sure every access point into the home is blocked and never never go out at night unless you have a death wish. However, Oz could never have predicted the way the mutation would change and now it is even more deadly.
I was interested in this follow up "book" to see where Patterson was going to take the story, mutation and characters and he took it in ways that I never expected. Did there need to be a separate book for zoo 2, probably not, as this is not that long of a read. However, I think I understand why he decided to have separate book (you know minus the additional money) as the way in which the"mutation" changes within this book clearly is something very different from the first. However, this book is extremely short, I believe about 150 pages so It could have been added to the first book no problem.
The
animals did not seem as smart as they were in the first book and I
missed the point of view from Attila.I think that these added more depth
to the overall story and even if we did not have points of view from
Attila Patterson could have selected a different animal from each place
that was visited and had even just one chapter from it's point of view
and how they viewed the human and the plan.
The one thing that Patterson does a great job in this book is pointing out how much we as a species have come to rely too much on technology that we are unable to give it up (and yes I realize I am making this statement typing away on my laptop, while my smart phone is close by). It does make me wonder, would I be able to give it all up in order to save the human race? Would I be willing to go back the pre-technology age? It is really something to think on. So for those points in actually making me think while I am reading and reviewing this book I applaud Patterson for that.
Of course there is a cliff hanger at the end so I wonder if Zoo 3 is coming out any time soon, and I'll probably end up reading it just to see how far Patterson can take this series and his apocalypse idea. I guess I really do wonder if we could survive an animal uprising.
Enjoy!!!
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