Vision in Silver: Keeps readers guessing

Editor’s note: We thank Sarah Chorn of Bookworm Blues for contributing this review to our site. Kat did not like the first two books, Written in Red and Murder of Crows, but the series is extremely popular, so we are pleased to have Sarah’s opinion of the third book, Vision in Silver.

Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

Each installment of Anne Bishop’s THE OTHERS series seems to only make me a bigger fan.

Before you read Vision in Silver, I should say that it is absolutely necessary for you to read the previous two books, Written in Read and Murder of Crows. Vision in Silver takes off a little after Murder of Crows ends. Things seem to be hitting a little bit of an equilibrium at the Courtyard, but in an attempt to control her cutting, Meg decides to make a controlled cut. Of course she has a vision. At first, none of what she sees makes sense, but soon the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place, which is half the thrill.

Vision in Silver has a bit of a different tone from the previous novels. Meg stops being the darling of the courtyard and starts making mistakes. The Others that she lives with don’t know how to handle her. There’s a murder which causes the humans to take a much larger role in the novel than they have in previous books, and the politics are intense, and almost overwhelming.

Readers will learn a lot more about the cassandra sangue, as Meg starts to really explore what makes her tick. The pressure that the Others and the Intuits feel from taking in these women who have been lost, kicked out, and confused, adds another layer of pressure and heartbreak to an already tense situation.

Vision in Silver is incredibly atmospheric and packed with tension and layers for readers to explore. There are very few authors who can make me feel both happy and heartbroken in the same sentence, and Bishop is one of them. She pulls out all the tricks, and infuses her book with all of the emotions that she can possibly muster.

This book is a bit more political and personal than the previous books. Meg really has to explore who she is and how she works in an effort to help all of the other women who have been basically abandoned from their very sheltered (and abusive) lives. It’s heartbreaking to see the struggle that these women go through, and it’s incredibly humanizing, empowering, and heartbreaking to see Meg push herself so far, and so hard, to help women that she doesn’t even really know.

The struggle between the Others and the humans is getting kicked up another notch. It’s obvious that Bishop is working toward something quite incredible in future books in the series. She’s spent the past two books moving her players around and ramping up the tension. The ending of Vision of Silver left me anxious to see what, exactly, she’s working toward. While I have my ideas, Bishop has a tendency to turn left when I expect her to turn right. Anything can happen but, oh, will I love the surprise.

The character development works perfectly along with the political developments. Both seem to fuel the other and push characters into some uncomfortable situations that force them to grow in unexpected ways. Meg was a powerful character before, but Vision in Silver humanizes her. Now she’s not just powerful, but she’s also fallible.

The mystery at the core of the novel is well done and has a result that managed to surprise me. Though, to be honest, the mystery wasn’t the most compelling part of the book. It did, however, give humans a much bigger role than they have previously had, and gives the political conflicts between humans and the Others a more personal and emotional ground.

Vision in Silver was quite a surprise. I loved the first two books in the series, but this one really shows just what a powerful author Bishop is. She flawlessly weaves together more plot threads than I thought possible, manages to keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats, and moves the plot toward…. something incredible, I’m sure.