• Etched in Bone

  • A Novel of the Others
  • By: Anne Bishop
  • Narrated by: Alexandra Harris
  • Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (2,758 ratings)

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Etched in Bone  By  cover art

Etched in Bone

By: Anne Bishop
Narrated by: Alexandra Harris
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Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Anne Bishop returns to her world of the Others, as humans struggle to survive in the shadow of shape-shifters and vampires far more powerful than themselves….

After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders - a primitive and lethal form of the Others - the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no man's land beyond their borders - and the darkness....

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery's shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end: with her standing beside a grave.

©2017 Anne Bishop (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A fantastic punch of gritty and dark politics and interspecies war. This series is utterly engrossing." (Fresh Fiction)

"One of the most original and phenomenal UF series out there...an epically amazing and thrilling story." (RT Book Reviews)

"As compelling as ever." (Library Journal)

What listeners say about Etched in Bone

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

So disappointed

This was my favorite urban fantasy series in recent years--until this book. I had grown to love Meg and Simon and the rest of the cast, and I relistened to the entire series in anticipation of the final book.

What a disappointment. It read like a filler book, rather than the last book in a beloved series. Many of the prior interesting side stories were totally abandoned (what happened to the other Cassandra sangue? The new communities they were building?). The Cyrus plot was uninteresting, unnecessarily crude, and vaguely racist. There was very little of the Meg and Simon relationship. I had to struggle to even finish the book. Sad.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not Convinced With This One

There are times that, as a reader, you feel as though an author is exploring a topic for which they do not have a definitive point of view. When that happens, the characters often feel either over-the-top, or not quite resolved. That was the case for me with Jimmy. He was too much. He didn't really fit into Officer Montgomery's family. It was as though Bishop had to go and watch a lot of police procedural dramas to figure out what dysfunction looked like in a black family, but she watched shows written by people who had done the exact same thing. This type of second- and third-level removed characterization takes you so far away from genuine evil, that you lose the very real pain and shame such a character could and should produce in the family members. Twila had too much stoicism. Monty was too naive. The whole thing was very bad police drama. Ah well, such happens all the time with ethnic characters. If you're comfortable with such characters, you accept them. If you're not, if you want a more well-rounded character, you stop reading and start wondering about the author's intentions, and/or cultural perceptions.

That's what Jimmy was for me. I got tired of his plot line - his bad kids, his drug addict wife, who was also a hooker . . . the lack of redeeming qualities, despite his sainted mother's effort at raising him right. Bishop piled on every stereotype, and provided no real motivation for his selfishness, other than hinting at jealousy. Yet, in another of her series, her incubus character is really a good guy, though he preys on others' weaknesses? Okay.

Beyond the Jimmy story line, there are some moments of the story that shine, though it's not as good as I expected. I don't know if my opinion is the result of Bishop's turn toward schlock-style characterization, or if it's really just kind of lackluster because there's not enough focus on Meg and Simon's relationship. They are, after all, the heart, the charm, and the beauty of this story. Their love, despite their disparate backgrounds, is why the series is so successful, in my opinion. Readers certainly don't need a counter attitude that shows Bishop only believes in love overcoming differences if those differences don't show on the surface. In the end, Jimmy was just Asia Crane in male form,shaped with racist overtones.

Whatever the case, there's no doubt that any librarian who recommends this book to a person of color will get an appraising look when it's returned.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Scary and Beautiful Story!

I love the writing in this entire series but the voice in this last of the Lakeside Courtyard stories takes on a very dark and realistic tone as its nemesis pursues the worst in human nature. Officer Montgomery's wayward and uninvited brother arrives in the Courtyard, is told to leave by Simon and others in the courtyard council before he even lays down his bags but the Elders interfere, wanting to know why the shifters think this human is such a threat to them and their courtyard. Tying Simon's hands this way, opens up the courtyard to Lt. Montgomery's brother's (Jimmy) trouble making, and it's not minor mischief.

Jimmy, unlike his brother, Monty, is incredibly base, violent, a bully and a manipulator whose "voice" in this book is realistic, crude and scary as you listen to the audiobook. Makes the reader want to reach out and throttle him! This story is all about how "Jimmy" is handled and what it teaches to the Elders who insisted he be allowed to stay for observation. Meanwhile, Meg and Simon continue to try and work out the puzzle of their growing relationship, Skippy makes a giant leap in his development and Sam is learning about pack politics with the pup pack.

Alexandra Harris does an amazing job in reading these characters, and adds much of the individuality expressed in them.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Book 4 was the end of the series for me.

For me book 4 was the end of the series. This book felt like a side story. To little development, and the story is about everyone else and some new people.

Looking back i would avoid this book. Book 1 and 2 left me wanting more, and i re-read them 3 times. Book 3 was the turning point, where the charm of the story started to take a negative turn. Book 4 was ok, and gave me an acceptable finish to the story. Book 5 turned me away from this serires, and i dont think i will come back to it again.

It lost its charm, and turned away from a charming tale. Ended up as a forced negative family feud with a sense of "moral speech"

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

This unique world held so much promise. I think the carrot the author dangles at the promise of romance detracts from the story seeing as she didn't deliver (if this is truly the last in the series at least of Meg's world). I like some romance in my stories but don't need it. I think I would have enjoyed the story without it in this case. The last paragraph what we get wasn't worth the wait of five books and I feel cheated.Plus, nothing much happens in this installment. The villain was awful but not scary, not like previous villains. Meg gets very little page time considering this is her "story/series ARC". And there is 5% action, 0.01% romance, and the rest of the book reads as filler. I probably won't read the spinoff.

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7 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Least favorite in series.

I've really enjoyed this series up til this last book. It took a dark turn & too many f words, and using the p word several times was a game killer for me! I've recommended this series several times to my nieces, but I cringe at the thought of them reading Etched In Bone. I'm disappointed the author had to end the series on a darker tone, & Used such profane language. If she had started out this series as more of an adult series, & not aimed for the YA group, then that would be different.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite series

I just can't get enough of this series every time I read one of these books in the series I am so sad when it's over I cannot wait until the next one

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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About Damn Time

All I can say is ABOUT DAMN TIME. There was a lot going on in this book. And it closed up a lot of storylines that have been hinted at for a while now, but oh my God, my heart is broken at the thought that this was Simon and Meg's last book. That Tess and Vlad won't be explored more. That that happened to poor Monty and Mrs. Twila. There were times I cringed in sympathy for what was happened to a character and I wanted to cry when characters were sad or when...well that's a spoiler. The elders were hilarious. And I love this series. I recommend it to everyone who comes in the library (I work there, not just randomly hang out there recommending things to strangers. Haha). And I recommend it to you, audible reader. It was a great book. Sad that it's ending but at least I got some closure.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Another for us to revel in the World of the Others

Another excellent story from the master story teller Anne Bishop. This is well worth buying.

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4 people found this helpful

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Loved it so much I read it twice

I have really enjoyed this book series and was really happy I read it a second time. The first time I read it I was anxious and felt let down by the ending. The second time I was able to see the beauty in the ending and found myself smiling. Extremely well written book, engaging from beginning to end.

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