Lake Silence (World of the Others, The) in Audiobook Junkies

Mar 06, 2018 Mogsy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban, paranormal, magic, review-copy, shapeshifters

UPDATED: US Giveaway of Lake Silence (3/12/18-3/18/18): https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/03/12/...

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/03/12/...

Lake Silence is the first book of a new spin-off series set in world of The Others by Anne Bishop, therefore making a great place to jump on board if you’ve ever played with the idea of checking these novels out. While the story takes place in a different town following a group of new people, it still shares many traits with the UPDATED: US Giveaway of Lake Silence (3/12/18-3/18/18): https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/03/12/...

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/03/12/...

Lake Silence is the first book of a new spin-off series set in world of The Others by Anne Bishop, therefore making a great place to jump on board if you’ve ever played with the idea of checking these novels out. While the story takes place in a different town following a group of new people, it still shares many traits with the original series such as Bishop’s incredible world-building as well as her flair for creating compelling and dynamic character relationships.

This novel opens on the small village of Sproing (is that not just the cutest name ever?) where a rustic little property called the Jumble sits beside the calm shores of Lake Silence. Our protagonist Vicki DeVine is the proprietor, having turned it into a cozy resort after receiving it in a divorce settlement. There’s a catch though; the land it is built on actually belongs to the Others, also known as the terra indigene—powerful, paranormal creatures that have called Earth home long before humans came into the picture. Territory controlled by the Others are often governed by strict rules, but as long you are willing to abide by them, most of the terra indigene are content to live in peace with the humans living on their land.

For Vicki, the Jumble has become her pride and joy, after all the time and effort she has put into upgrading the place. Her first tenant is even one of the Others, a shifter named Aggie Crowe. But then one day, Aggie finds a dead body on the property, so naturally, Vicki calls the police. When the human authorities arrive, however, they only bring more trouble and worries. Suddenly, our protagonist finds herself suspected of murder, despite evidence showing that no human could have committed the crime. Worse of all, someone appears to be after the Jumble, and they’ll do anything to force Vicki off the property even if it means angering the Others and threatening the stability of their domain.

If you are a newcomer, Lake Silence will cover everything you need to know. It really is meant to be a fresh start, with only minimal references to the events that took place in the previous series. Admittedly, for those who are already familiar with the world, most of the introduction of this book will feel routine, covering the history of the Others and explaining the natural order of things. Still, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing of interest for old fans. Sproing is a very different setting compared to Lakeside Courtyard, and there are also plenty of new names to learn, new places to visit. I especially enjoyed meeting Vicki DeVine, a fascinating protagonist despite her struggles with a lot of personal problems and insecurities. After the first few chapters told from her point of view, I already knew I was going to like her more than Meg Corbyn from the original series. Perhaps it was due to the first-person perspective, but I immediately connected with her on a deeper and more emotional level.

That said, I noticed quite a few parallels to the first series too. Sproing may not be Lakeside Courtyard, but it does contain certain similarities and analogs to it such as the quintessential good cop, the charming little bookstore, its own population of elemental ponies, and the list goes on. Even the attitudes and personalities of the villains remind me of the ones I’ve seen before in the previous series. The author appears to have recycled a lot of her ideas, repackaging them to be used here. Even Vicki is a lot like Meg in some ways, in that she is a victim of past abuses so that her fragile nature leads the Others to think she must be protected. On the one hand, I don’t see a problem with a spin-off series retaining a lot of the tone, spirit, and themes of the original, but on the other, part of me had hoped for something a little different and more inspired.

Still, this being the first book, I’m optimistic that the characters and setting will get their chance to develop their own distinctiveness as the series continues to grow and evolve. Already, there appears to be character backstories to explore and more connections to be made. Plot pacing and levels of excitement are also off to a good start, and the way things ended in this installment got me all pumped up and ready for the next one. In sum, Lake Silence is a great book if you enjoyed the previous five novels in the world of The Others, but it also makes a perfect beginning for readers who haven’t read them and are curious to see what the fuss is all about. ...more

21 likes · Like · see review

Mar 07, 2018 Sunny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: a-1-favorites-pnr-uf-fantasy, a-pnr-uf-fantasy, team-shifter

ARC Review

I’d be lying if I did not share with you that I had a lot of trepidation about reading this book. LAKE SILENCE is the 6th book in The Others series. It is not an official spin-off, but we have a whole new set of characters and location but in The Others world. How could Anne Bishop take us away from our beloved friends in the Lakeside Courtyard? How could we possible care as much for anyone else as we do for Meg and Simon? I am here to say, THE MAGIC IS BACK!

Vicki DeVine receives a ru ARC Review

I’d be lying if I did not share with you that I had a lot of trepidation about reading this book. LAKE SILENCE is the 6th book in The Others series. It is not an official spin-off, but we have a whole new set of characters and location but in The Others world. How could Anne Bishop take us away from our beloved friends in the Lakeside Courtyard? How could we possible care as much for anyone else as we do for Meg and Simon? I am here to say, THE MAGIC IS BACK!

Vicki DeVine receives a rundown resort called The Jumble as a part of her divorce settlement. After leaving her abusive husband behind, all she wants is a quiet life and livelihood running the resort. The resort sits on a land own and surrounded by the terra indigene. She is the new caretaker of a very special place for the Others. The Jumble, like the Courtyard, is a place where shifters can learn human behavior. In most books of this genre, shifters begin as humans and transform into their animals. So, essentially, they are human plus. In this series, shifters begin as animals. As such, they are unfamiliar with human behavior, language and idiosyncrasies, but they can learn. That is why places like the Courtyard and now, the Jumble are important. These are the sites where the terre indigene observe and learn to mimic humans (Heaven, help us, but they do.). Curiously, as an unintended result, it is where friendly relationships between species also develop.

For the reader, the Jumble is also center of the story where both hilarious and terrifying interactions also happen. For example, when upon meeting her vampire attorney, Vicki describes him as yummy. In her words: “he was a double-scoop sundae with hot fudge and caramel sauce and mountain of whipped cream yummy.” As a fan of PNR books, Vicki’s fantasies come to life! Since she never previously interacted with the terre indigene before, she too is learning about her neighbors, infusing her interactions with humor. She ponders the relationship between elementals: “If Fire mates with Water, are the children called Steam?” *rimshot* There is something very playful when the focus is on the “fish out of water” trope. I enjoyed learning about new terra indigene and their child-like curiosity. However, not all interactions are innocuous.

This story is also a murder mystery. It begins with Vicki rescuing an disembodied eyeball that Aggie Crowgard is about to eat. There is a dead body found on Jumble land. Little does Vicki know that when she calls the police, it is the beginning of an investigation into a conspiracy that involves tie pins, secret societies, and Vicki’s ex-husband. Like in previous books, the town of Sproing hosts people who represent the very best and very worst in human nature. The worst are spiteful and mean. They make my stomach hurt. The best are the very best - heroic, humble, protective, courageous, and flawed. Furthermore, the terre indigene dole out the justice in the extreme. In this world, humans are “meat” and the Others are apex predators. It is good that we should remember that.

An excellent introduction to a new set of characters, Anne Bishop whets are appetite for even more stories from the world of The Others. ...more

19 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2018 Dianne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-read, great-dialogue, own, paranormal

She thought she had gained her freedom from a monstrous husband and a fresh start in life. What the kind-hearted, slightly klutzy Vicki discovered was a dead body and a world where human law was superseded by Others law and justice comes in many forms.

The Jumble was part of Vicki’s settlement, purported to be a potentially valuable resort lodge nestled in the woods near Lake Silence. It was in the fine print that Vicki learns she has been taken advantage of again, by her ex. Enter the Others an ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

Dec 24, 2017 Kathy Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Vicki DeVine got The Jumble as her divorce settlement when her emotionally abusive husband Yorick Dane decided he needed to move up from his starter wife. She has spent months updating the very run down resort on the shore of Lake Silence. The Jumble is near Sproing, the only human village near Lake Silence. When her only renter Aggie Crowe is getting ready to heat an eyeball in the wave-cooker and mentions that the rest of the body is on the path between Vicki's place and the neighbor, Vicki co Vicki DeVine got The Jumble as her divorce settlement when her emotionally abusive husband Yorick Dane decided he needed to move up from his starter wife. She has spent months updating the very run down resort on the shore of Lake Silence. The Jumble is near Sproing, the only human village near Lake Silence. When her only renter Aggie Crowe is getting ready to heat an eyeball in the wave-cooker and mentions that the rest of the body is on the path between Vicki's place and the neighbor, Vicki contacts the nearest police station.

Since the troubles that happened when the Others cleaned house leaving many humans missing or dead, Sproing doesn't have a police force of their own. Wayne Grimshaw is the highway patrol officer who is sent to Sproing to check out the body. He is used to patrolling the roads and knows very well that there are many dangerous Others out there. One look tells him that the victim was not killed by a human.

Grimshaw begins an investigation which leads right back to Vicki's ex and a club of unscrupulous businessmen. Apparently, they want The Jumble back so that they can turn it into a high class resort. Luckily, Vicki has made friends including her new lawyer Ilya Sanguinati who is the vampire overseer of the humans in Sproing. She is also befriended by many of the Others and Elementals who call Lake Silence home and who want Vicki to succeed in her new business which provides a way for humans and Others to learn about each other. She also makes friends with some of the humans in Sproing too, including Julian Farrow who was an Intuit and former police officer and is currently the owner of Lettuce Read - the local bookstore.

I liked that the story was told from a number of viewpoints with the chapter titles saying who was telling that part of the story. I like that that humans are not the dominant species in this world. I liked that the Others were so very different than humans in the way they thought. Vicki was a great character who had self-deprecating humor despite suffering from crippling anxiety attacks. I liked the way she treated any of the Others she met with caution, courtesy, and respect. I liked the idea that a bookstore was an essential part of the town and that sharing stories was a way for the Others and the humans to begin understanding each other.

I highly recommend this great fantasy story. ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2018 Darcy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, listened-to-at-work, shifters, re-read-2020, vampires, 2024, 2023, 2018, re-read-2021, uf

I was excited to read this book, wanted to see more of this world, even as sad as I was to leave Meg and Simon behind. And sure...there were many times I was like, "oh this is the Meg/Simon/Humans as bad guys/etc" of the book. Yet the characters were all so different. I liked Vicki, the plain human who is turning the community on it's head. Vicki knows about the Others and when she moves she makes it a point to learn what she can and can not do to her property, winning her big points with the Ot ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2018 ☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

In the sixth book, we leave Meg and Simon behind and travel across Thaisa to a small rustic lakeside resort bordering the small-town of Sproing. The resort sits along the shore of Lake Silence. Here we meet Vicki DeVine. I liked Vicki, she is damaged but has a strong moral compass and inner strength. It will be interesting to see her grow and trust. Vicki came by her little resort through a divorce settlement and it comes with some strict rules regarding the land, buildings, and lake. While Vic ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2018 Anne - Books of My Heart rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 7arcs, coyer-previous, audio, 2018

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

I received this book for free from Publisher, NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I completely love The Others series and this continuation has the same feels. The world and some of its creatures are familiar. The sanguinati, shifters, elementals, and elders are all still around. I would read the series from the beginning for the world-building plus ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

May 15, 2018 Lisa Kay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-b, challenge-2018-rlftci, xyzcover-sea-lake-water, authors-a, genre-urban-fantasy, character-shapeshifters-werewolves, series-o, anticipation, character-vamp

★★★★½

5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2018 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-audiobook-challenge, audiobooks, urban-fantasy, the-others-series, the-world-of-the-others-series

Spinning off from and taking place several months after the conclusion of the original Others series, Lake Silence shifts from the activities of the Lakeside Courtyard, to a human settlement, Sproing, located in the Finger Lakes region of the Wild Country. The story centers on Vicki DeVine, a recently divorced human who received a rundown, rustic “campground” known as the Jumble in Sproing as her settlement. After suffering ten years of emotional and mental abuse by her ex, Vicki enjoys a quiet Spinning off from and taking place several months after the conclusion of the original Others series, Lake Silence shifts from the activities of the Lakeside Courtyard, to a human settlement, Sproing, located in the Finger Lakes region of the Wild Country. The story centers on Vicki DeVine, a recently divorced human who received a rundown, rustic “campground” known as the Jumble in Sproing as her settlement. After suffering ten years of emotional and mental abuse by her ex, Vicki enjoys a quiet life rebuilding her property. However, when her tenant, Aggie Crowe (a member of the Crowguard), discovers a dead body on the adjacent property, Vicki and her lodge become the center of much attention, with Vicki a suspect. Soon Vicki finds herself entangled in a fight with her ex and his partners to keep the Jumble. And Vicki also discovers she has a number of Other allies, bringing her face-to-face with the predators living around Sproing.

Lake Silence introduces readers to an entirely new set of characters, location, and a new species of Other; however, there is mention of a few key players from the original series. And although the book doesn’t open with the “history of the world” as did the previous books, there is enough backstory and history woven into the plot that a newcomer to the series could enjoy the book without having read the first five books (but you should!) The narrative is first person when shared by Vicki, with all other characters shared in third person. There is a bit of jumping back and forth between characters and locations, with each perspective adding a piece to the larger picture.

I was a bit apprehensive when starting Lake Silence, because I had grown to love the residents of Lakeside and was concerned I wouldn’t like moving away from Meg, Simon, and the gang. I’m happy to report that my concerns were for naught. I quickly became attached to Vicki, Aggie, and the other residents of Sproing. The story starts with the same premise as the original series: a damaged girl/woman being hunted/harassed, while the Others, Intuits, and humans rally to protect her. Yet, even with the similarities, the story is fresh, exciting, and engrossing. Vicki may not be able to stand up for herself, but she is smart and understands what is happening to and around her. I enjoyed watching her grow and strengthen over the course of the book. Through the development of friendships with both humans and Others, Vicki develops a sense of self and learns to better deal with the abusive tactics used by her ex and his cronies.

As with the original series, Alexandra Harris provides the narration for Lake Silence. Her performance is familiar, yet different, and Ms. Harris is the voice of the series for me. I like that I never was confused that I was listening to the characters from earlier books, yet each voice still felt well-known. Vicki is different than Meg and her voice was older, more mature, yet still tentative when anxious. The Crow and Sanguinati voices are similar to previous books. Additionally, many of the Others are more primitive in this area-unused to human interaction-and their voices and speech patterns mimic this.

In the end, I found Lake Silence an thrilling and very enjoyable story. There is some of the same, but enough differences from the original series to make it engaging and not repetitive. While I was concerned I wouldn’t like the change in location, meeting a whole new set of characters was exciting, and I’ve already become attached to several. Vicky is a work in progress; she did some growing, but has a lot more to do to heal the wounds her ex inflicted, and I hope we will see more of her and the settlement of Sproing in future titles.

Story: A-
Narration: A

Review copy provided by Penguin Random House Audio ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 31, 2018 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-5-star-narration, 4-5-stars, z-2018, urban-fantasy, z-2018-audiobooks

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

4.5 stars

This is the sixth book in The Others series. However, this book starts a new tale in a new location in this world that Anne Bishop has created. In the first five books in the series, we followed Meg and the members of the Lakeside Courtyard. In this book, we follow Vicki and the people in the small town of Sproing. This town lives much closer to the terra indigene (shifters, vampires called Sanguinati, elemen My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

4.5 stars

This is the sixth book in The Others series. However, this book starts a new tale in a new location in this world that Anne Bishop has created. In the first five books in the series, we followed Meg and the members of the Lakeside Courtyard. In this book, we follow Vicki and the people in the small town of Sproing. This town lives much closer to the terra indigene (shifters, vampires called Sanguinati, elementals and more) than the people of the city of Lakeside.

So Vicki has just recently divorce her verbally abusive husband. She got some of his family’s land, a run down lodge called The Jumble, in the divorce settlement. She also got some money to fix up The Jumble, which she does. The Jumble has very strict requirements for how the property is managed. The land is owned by terra indigene, Vicki owns only the buildings. She has to follow their rules for the land. Such as, she can’t put motorboats into the lake, can’t widen the roads, etc.

She gets her first tennent in the way of Aggie Crowe. Things go pretty well until Vicki finds Aggie heating up an eyeball in the wave-cooker (Aggie decided that the eye would be better warm, since the body had been dead for a bit and the eye was squishy) There is a dead body in The Jumble. Vicki quickly calls the police. Things go downhill from there.

While this story has a completely new set of characters, we do get mention of Vlad and Meg. There are references to the Lakeside Courtyard, but we don’t actually get any page time with any of them. That’s okay though, because we have a great time with all the new characters. Vicki and Aggie are both great characters. Ilya Sanguinati, who becomes Vicki’s lawyer, is interesting and I can’t wait to see where Anne Bishop takes his character. Vicki has two other shifters that come on to help her in the jumble, a cougar shifter and bear shifter. In town, there is Julian Farrow, an Intuit, former cop and the current owner of Lettuce Read, the local bookstore (can I say, I love all the store names in this series). There is also Officer Grimshaw who is assigned to handle things in the town, even though he technically works for highway patrol.

Vicki and Aggie, along with a few other terra indigene, play a game called Murder. It is very similar to Clue. Trying to figure out who did it and with what and in what room. Vicki is also asked to become the Reader. Many of the terra indigene aren’t as in tuned with humans as others, so in some towns a Reader is chosen to read stories to the ones who can’t read.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Sproingers. They are little creatures that the people of the town treat like animals. They feed them carrot pieces. But they are much smarter than mere animals. There is a scene where they want to peer into a window, so they form a pyramid so one can get high enough to see in.

There are also the beloved ponies from the earlier books too. Or, I should say, new ponies. Whirlpool, is adorable and has a great scene with Vicki in The Jumble. We also meet a few of the elementals.

This series continues to mix together humor, cute and very dark. Humans in this world are not usually the good guys. There are some good ones like Vicki and Grimshaw, but there are way more bad ones. People who don’t think the rules apply to them. They think that they have final say, no matter what the terra indigene say. If you haven’t tried this series, I highly recommend it. I do think you can start with this book, but I would recommend starting with book one. There are things that are mentioned in this book that you learn about in the first five books. While I think you could understand it, I think you would have a better appreciation after finishing the first book. Plus, you won’t regret spending time with Meg and the gang.

Narration
Alexandra Harris continues to do a great job with the narration of this series. I love how she voices all the crows, mostly. I think she is amazing with showing the feelings of every character, from Vicki when she is upset to Vicki’s evil husband to Grimshaw’s determination. She is the voice of this series for me. I can’t imagine tackling this series in any other way.

**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 09, 2018 Danelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In this addition to one of my favorite series The Other's we leave behind the Lakeside Courtyard and find ourselves at Lake Silence. In this novel we are introduced to Vicky DeVine, a woman who received a rustic resort in a divorce settlement from her abusive ex husband. Thinking she is going to start over that comes to a crashing halt when a dead body is found on the land. The man was killed by something that was obviously not human but hidden conspirators try to pin the murder on her. Like Meg ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 07, 2018 Liza rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved the first 5 books in The Others series from Anne Bishop, and was excited to get more stories with the Others. While I'll miss so many of my favorite characters from the Lakeside Courtyard, I already love so many of the characters we met in the Lake Silence area of Sproing.

Vicki DeVine was treated horribly by her ex-husband, but she has started to come out of her shell and feel a strength about herself she has never felt before since moving to The Jumble on Lake Silence. I loved she was s ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 21, 2018 Melindeeloo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x2018-audio-challenge

3.5 stars - I do have to say that having the same reader for this latest Others book, made it so that Vickie felt similar to Meg - just Vickie's issues stood in for Meg's innocence. (view spoiler) ...more

2 likes · Like · see review