Book Review: Lake Silence by Anne Bishop + Giveaway!
***The giveaway is now over, thanks to everyone who entered!***
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Others
Publisher: Ace Books (March 6, 2018)
Length: 402 pages
Author Information: Website
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 on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Written in Red (Book 1)
Review of Murder of Crows (Book 2)
Review of Vision in Silver (Book 3)
Review of Marked in Flesh (Book 4)
Review of Etched in Bone (Book 5)
Lake Silence Giveaway
And now, time for the giveaway! With thanks to Ace Books, the BiblioSanctum has one hardcover print copy of Lake Silence up for grabs. By request of the publisher, this giveaway is open to residents of the US only. To enter, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line “LAKE SILENCE” by 11:59pm Eastern time on Sunday, March 18, 2018 and we’ll take care of the rest.
Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purposes of contacting the winner and sending them their prize. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win! Good luck!
The BiblioSanctum 
A spinoff series should definitely be different from the original. Especially the main character. If the MC of the original was, say, kind, then the MC of the spinoff should be mean. At first at least. Excellent reviewing!
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I’m hoping that as the series progresses, we’ll start to see more differences. At least I like Vicki a lot more than Meg so far! 😀
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I totally agree with you about the similarities! I tought that as well but I also had a great time with the story!
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Yep, I had a good time as well! I hope later books will see this series developing more of its own individuality.
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The other series is one I’ve always wanted to start but perhaps I could jump in here as you mention Question – should I go and read the original series, do you think I would be missing out by starting here because to be honest, if I start here it’s unlikely that I’ll ever go back to the rest but if you think this makes a great starting point then I’ll probably put the other series aside. Sorry, not really wanting to make that your decision – but would be interested in your opinion.
Lynn 😀
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I don’t think you’ll miss out on much if you were to skip the first series and just jump into this one. Unlike other spinoffs where I’ve felt confused or lost, this one will ease you right in with no problems. 🙂
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Good luck to those who enter – what a fab giveaway! Shame I’m in the UK but thank you for the review as I’ve not read anything by this author before. You’re right though, Sproing is quite a cute name 🙂
Caz x
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Sproing Sproing Sproing…I can say that all day 😀
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I’m glad to hear that you really enjoyed this one. I’ve put off reading the last Meg book mostly because I hated for it to end. Even though I do need to know what happened between Simon and Meg. Great review.
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The last book is worth reading, if you want to know what happens to the main characters. If anything, it’s good to know how the series ends 🙂
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I’m maybe half way through and have been thinking about how similar it is to the other books I’ve read in The Others series.
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Right? I don’t know how to feel about that yet. As long as Vicki’s character doesn’t end up being too much like Meg, I’ll be happy.
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I must wait for paperback, sigh
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Oof, hopefully it wont be too long of a wait.
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I need to read this! I love the Others and Meg and Simon… I’m not sure about a knock off of them because that just seems like it would go totally wrong but I’m willing to give it a go! Great review, glad it was just that one concern…
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I’m hoping this spin off won’t become too much of a knockoff either! I mean, I loved the original Others series, but I wouldn’t want to read a repeat of it. Crossing my fingers that the later books will help the series develop more of its own distinct characteristics.
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The concept of The Others is indeed a fascinating one, even more so since I can learn about them starting with this book and without need to read the previous series. Which does not mean that I might not go back to that if I’m fascinated by this book as much as I think I will be… 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
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You know me, it irks me when the first book of a new follow-up series or a spin off does not provide a good starting point for new readers. I’m happy to report this is not the case here though! 😀
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I’ve been thinking of this one after seeing that awesome cover, and was initially under the assumption that I’d need t read the previous books to know what was going on, but from your review and others I’ve seen it appears this is a decent jumping on point. That’s good to know since this one does appeal to me. Plus I want to see what all the hype is about with the Others books! 🙂
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Nope, you don’t need to read the previous books to jump right in! New characters and new setting means a fresh start. And I think Bishop does a fantastic job explainign the ropes for new readers 🙂
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