Where the Moon Isn't begins with the recounting of a childhood memory by the 19-year old narrator Matthew. This memory, which may seem, to the reader, odd at best and unimportant at worst, has stayed with Matthew his entire life as a defining moment that set in motion a choice that ended in the death of his older brother, Simon. Now, Matthew is telling his story - and his brother's story - as he attempts to bring his brother back. Matthew is convinced he's found a way to do this: by going off the meds that keep his schizophrenia - and his brother - at bay. As Matthew tells his story, the reader struggles to unravel the truth from Matthew's story, which one can never take completely at face value, as it meanders through past and present, sometimes linear, sometimes repetitively, but always with a steady, persistent goal: finding Simon.

I cannot stress how much important I think this novel is. It deals with a myriad of topics, most notably mental illness, in a raw, honest way that readers won't soon forget. I was incredibly moved by Where the Moon Isn't... not just by Matthew and Simon's story, but by the stories of even the secondary characters. I can't talk about this book without my heart breaking and my eyes filling with tears because it's obvious that Filer has first hand experience with the issues he writes about in this book. My mother has spent most of her life working with for Community Mental Health of Michigan, so throughout my life I had the pleasure of meeting some of the most absolutely wonderful people who are saddled with mental and physical deficiencies. Filer gives these individuals a voice with Where the Moon Isn't. This book is a compelling mystery with engaging psychological elements, but, because of the author's heart and deft hand, it is also so much more.

While Where the Moon Isn't is technically adult fiction, it has definite crossover appeal. The main character, Matthew, is only nineteen and much of the novel focuses on his childhood.

I've been a huge fan of Anne Bishop for years, starting from when I read the first three books in her Black Jewels series. Written in Blood, the first in her new Others series, has only deepened my love for her writing and storytelling.

All of the other books I've read by Bishop have had a fantasy vibe to them, but Written in Blood stands out, at least for me, as distinctly paranormal. Admittedly, I haven't read very much paranormal fiction - and most of that experience was with novels by Laurell K. Hamilton - but to me, paranormal fiction has always been synonymous with paranormal romance/erotica. While Written in Blood feels like it the series will eventually have some sexy bits, the reader never sees any and I never it never felt that the romantic threads were forced or overdone like I sometimes felt happened in other paranormal fiction I've read. Instead, the relationships in Bishop's novel - romantic or otherwise - develop organically and are quite refreshing.

I loved the variety of paranormal elements in Written in Blood. There are the standard shapeshifters and vampires, plus many more. I was especially intrigued by the characters that were "elemental." As their name implies, these characters control the elements... and turn out to be just as terrifying as the paranormal individuals that readers would traditionally assume should be feared. It was also great to see that the "standard" paranormal creatures in this book, like werewolves and vampires, were refreshed and had some interesting and unique abilities.

Adding to this book's charm is the main character and her mythology. The main character, Meg, is a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet. Simply put, blood prophets have prophetic visions when their skin is cut. Early on, the reader learns that Meg, like many other blood prophets, is considered property and her ability is used for profit. Meg, having escaped from her captors, has sought safety with the Others, who consider her in ways, kin  and in others, human (and therefore untrustworthy). I loved the interactions between Meg and the Others. It was interesting to see who accepted her right away and who did not (and, in addition, why the did or didn't).

I thoroughly enjoyed this paranormal offering from Bishop. The next book, Murder of Crows, isn't due out until 2014 (too long!!), so I'll have to get my Bishop writing and character fix by rereading other books (something I'm definitely looking forward to)!