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Crowbones
The Others #8
The World of the Others #3
by Anne Bishop
Ace, $28.00, 384pp
Published: March 2022

This is the eighth in her The Others series (third in World of The Others) and a better story than the last two.

The Others are those sentient native terran species that aren't human.  In this alternate earth, humans evolved isolated from the rest of the world and by the time they were ready to explore and colonize, they discovered the rest of the world didn't belong to them.  And if they encroached where they were not welcome - they got eaten.  But after a time, they learned to trade the things they made and invented with The Others and won land for their use.  But The Others controlled all the natural resources and the humans could only use that which was allowed to them.  The stories are about how both the Humans and the Others try to work together. 

This story returns to the rustic resort of The Jumble run by Vicki; who was introduced in "Lake Silence."  Vicki is still a little fragile but gaining in strength every day; although she came close a couple times in this book, I don't think she had a single major meltdown.  This is significant to me because in "Lake Silence" she came across as the most pitiable woman imaginable.  I prefer a strong Vicki.  Vicki is known as The Reader to the local Others; some of which either board with her or work as employees.  But they are mostly Crowgard; some are Lynxgard, Panthergard or Beargard.  But of real interest, are the Elders who live in the wild around the resort.  Apparently, they have developed a protective fondness for their Reader; people mess with Vicki at their own peril.

Events begin with Trickster Night (analogous to Halloween) and Vicki deciding to make a celebration to introduce Others to human ideas of fun.  The idea captures the interest of Others like little else and all they can think of in the weeks leading up to it is their costumes and what to expect.  But no one expected what really happened.  After all the usual small tykes knocking at the door for treats, no one was ready for the shocking appearance of a figure from Crowgard myth: Crowbones.  Crowbones is their cultural bogeyman, dragged out to elicit proper behavior from young Crows.  But for Vicki's Crow employees, Aggie, Jozi and Eddie, the figure was straight out of their nightmares.  Before anyone can react, the figure is gone.

Other visitors that night included four swaggering and threatening teenage boys who were scared off by some of Vicki's friends.  Local police, Grimshaw, and Ilya, leader of the local Sanguinati decide to look around the property for evidence of the Crowbones creature.  What they do find is both messily bloody and puzzling.  It appears to be the Crowbones creature but turns out to be a costumed human.  Something wasn't amused at the costume.  But how would a human even know about the story?  After that, the body count just continues to go up.  The difference in this story is that local terra indigene are included.  The situation is rapidly becoming dire causing Grimshaw, Ilya and others true concern about the ramifications of the Elders becoming aware that someone or something is targeting Crowgard. 

The story revolves around the four teenage boys and four young Sanguinati being fostered by Ilya.  No one seems to know where the four boys came from and no one seems to be looking for a missing boy even after one ends up dead.  While Ilya has no reason to suspect his teenaged fosterlings, certain anomalies crop up.  Grimshaw has his sights set on a couple of Vicki's guests from a local college; there to research Others folklore and myths.  But the real culprit might be hiding in plain sight; someone with a history and a dark agenda involving more teenagers in many towns.  While this person has been successful in not drawing attention from the Others, being trapped in a small town with an intense investigation may prove fatal.  Unfortunately, Grimshaw, Ilya and Julian, an intuit helping with the investigation,  have valid concerns that the Elders' reactions may prove fatal to a lot more people than just those who are guilty.

This was actually a really great mystery.  The roster of suspects is long and varied.  The author breaks the chapters with different points-of-view and more than one isn't identifiable but clearly a bad guy.  So, we the readers, know there may be more than one villain and one that could be good or bad but Grimshaw, Ilya and Julian take a bit more time to figure that out.  Their investigation turns up really strange leads and puzzle pieces that just don't fit together.  It's almost as if there are different reasons for some of the deaths.

Vicki remains the focal point for the story; primarily because of her relationship with the Elders.  For the well-being and continued existence of well…just about everyone in the area…it is obviously critical to keep her alive and well.  The Elders may take appropriate action should that change and nobody wants that.  Vicki is a fun focal point; despite her fragility she is remarkably blasé about meeting and interacting with Others or even the Elders.  As I commented in an earlier review, it seems a bit inexplicable as the usual Other response to a weak human is to eat it.  The author makes books the McGuffin; events move along with interest in books, visits to the local bookstore, weekly reading sessions.  The Others don't have a history of written words but storytelling is something that interests them all.  The opportunity to have a guarded interaction with someone like Vicki to exchange books or listen to a reading is what makes her important to them.

No complaint from me about the characters; I enjoy them and I respect how spare Bishop's descriptions are.  The plot was terrific; so much better than the last two books.  There were so many moving pieces in this story that I was a little disappointed that a couple things didn't get resolved.  And from the nature of this story, I don't see a continuation in a subsequent book.  Oh, well…even in real life we don't always get answers to every little thing.

I do worry just a little that Ms. Bishop has written herself into a corner.  It's hard to imagine what else in this world can be used for a compelling story and I do so want this to go on.  I just don't want the series to continue if there's nothing new to be said.  Perhaps there is fodder in another Blood Prophet story or even a story set on a different continent in a different society.  I also wouldn't object if Ms. Bishop turned her considerable talents to a brand-new series.  ~~ Catherine Book

For more titles by Anne Bishop click here
For reviews of titles in the The Others series click here

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