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The Black Jewels #7
The Shadow Queen
In her national bestselling Black Jewels novels, Anne Bishop’s “surefire spell craft…leave[s] readers’ hearts pounding.” Now her “feverish pacing and terrifying twists” are showcased once again. In a tumultuous world ruled by witches and warlocks who wear their power as jewels, one Queen’s chance at redemption is the last hope for a desperate people…
Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand - without a leader and without hope…
Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who knows Protocol, remembers the Blood’s code of honor, and lives by the Old Ways.
Languishing in the Shadow Realm, Lady Cassidy is a Queen without a court, a castoff. She is not beautiful. She thinks she is not strong. But when she is chosen to rule Dena Nehele, she must convince bitter men to serve once again.
Theran’s cousin Gray is a Warlord Prince who was damaged in mind and body by the vicious Queens who once ruled Dena Nehele. Yet something about Cassidy makes him want to serve - and makes him believe he can be made whole once again.
And only Cassidy can prove to Gray - and to herself - that wounds can heal and even the whisper of a promise can be fulfilled…
Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand - without a leader and without hope…
Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who knows Protocol, remembers the Blood’s code of honor, and lives by the Old Ways.
Languishing in the Shadow Realm, Lady Cassidy is a Queen without a court, a castoff. She is not beautiful. She thinks she is not strong. But when she is chosen to rule Dena Nehele, she must convince bitter men to serve once again.
Theran’s cousin Gray is a Warlord Prince who was damaged in mind and body by the vicious Queens who once ruled Dena Nehele. Yet something about Cassidy makes him want to serve - and makes him believe he can be made whole once again.
And only Cassidy can prove to Gray - and to herself - that wounds can heal and even the whisper of a promise can be fulfilled…
429 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
198 people are currently reading
6107 people want to read
About the author
Anne Bishop
51 books10.6k followersAnne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of over twenty novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. She has written a new series, the Others, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.
Crawford Award (2000)
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Crawford Award (2000)
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 394 reviews
September 18, 2023
2009: 2 stars . 2011: 3 stars
2018: 4 stars - Made me cry. I'm getting attached with this one.
2021: 5 stars. It became one of my favorites re-reads.
2023: ditto.
Mucho PSTD en este libro.
The Shadow Queen is part of the Black Jewels 'verse. Two years after the cleansing storm to get rid of the wicked witches er the bad Blood: bad queens and badder priestess, Terreille is almost in ruins. The population were wipe out for the aforementioned and the posterior war between Blood and landens (not magical jeweled people) sick of the abuses. Now, Theran Greyhaven of Dena Nehele, the last survival Warlord Prince of his house , saved by many others as last hope, get the idea of bring back a new Queen of the Old Ways to rule and prosper again.
Meanwhile, Cassidy is a Rose Jewel Queen. Not beautiful, not very strong in Craft. (No. I mean it, is not a 'she is not pretty nor powerful but...'; she really isn't. Imagine that!!) And she is without a court b/c ... reasons. She is really insecure, and don't trust very much in herself because of that. Guess whom Witch is sending.
This is a SECOND CHANCE kind of plot. And how you could use or not.
Oh, and Theran? he is total moron, and a jerk. And I really really mean it. Thank the Lady he is not the main interest.
“All women may look the same in the dark, but all men don’t feel the same. In fact, a woman will find out more about a man’s true nature in the dark than she’ll ever see in the light of day.”
Gray, the cousin, is a damaged young man. He was tortured when was captured as a teen thinking he was Theran. And again, with damaged I talking about the kind of traumatized and stuck-as-kid-mentality here.
And oh, Cassie and Gray made me cry
He woke up with his heart pounding, on the verge of tears. He wanted to wear that coat. Had been born to wear that coat. But he didn’t know how to change to make it fit.
, and Saetan too made me cry.
Is all about war and abuse and vengance and fall into darkness of soul and mind, damaged people, scars -more mental than physicals, rape, and... well this is dark fantasy. But only is implied the rape in case you are wondering. Also there is a lot of sex talking, specially of the Janelle/Daemon variety. And gardening.
Despair and disappointment all around. But a promise of a treasure and maybe Dena Nehele coul be saved. If some people can really see beyond.
I like it.
Also is a book about how the survivors of a war with physical and mental torture continue to live with those scars that will never leave them. And how it continues to affect their lives and their relationships with their loved ones. So a lot is about Daemon Saudi too with Jaenelle.
“The residences are always ready. . . .” No, Daemon realized. It wasn’t about the houses. It was about him. It was about staying in a place where he wouldn’t have to be on guard all the time. It was about having servants around him that he could trust.
It was about other people—one Lady in particular—being safe around him because *he* felt safe.
The next book, "Shalador Lady" is the second part of this book, but it did not end in cliffhanger.
Lucivar is still my favorite:
ok, you have to read the book to understand :P
2018: 4 stars - Made me cry. I'm getting attached with this one.
2021: 5 stars. It became one of my favorites re-reads.
2023: ditto.
Mucho PSTD en este libro.
The Shadow Queen is part of the Black Jewels 'verse. Two years after the cleansing storm to get rid of the wicked witches er the bad Blood: bad queens and badder priestess, Terreille is almost in ruins. The population were wipe out for the aforementioned and the posterior war between Blood and landens (not magical jeweled people) sick of the abuses. Now, Theran Greyhaven of Dena Nehele, the last survival Warlord Prince of his house , saved by many others as last hope, get the idea of bring back a new Queen of the Old Ways to rule and prosper again.
Meanwhile, Cassidy is a Rose Jewel Queen. Not beautiful, not very strong in Craft. (No. I mean it, is not a 'she is not pretty nor powerful but...'; she really isn't. Imagine that!!) And she is without a court b/c ... reasons. She is really insecure, and don't trust very much in herself because of that. Guess whom Witch is sending.
This is a SECOND CHANCE kind of plot. And how you could use or not.
Oh, and Theran? he is total moron, and a jerk. And I really really mean it. Thank the Lady he is not the main interest.
“All women may look the same in the dark, but all men don’t feel the same. In fact, a woman will find out more about a man’s true nature in the dark than she’ll ever see in the light of day.”
Gray, the cousin, is a damaged young man. He was tortured when was captured as a teen thinking he was Theran. And again, with damaged I talking about the kind of traumatized and stuck-as-kid-mentality here.
And oh, Cassie and Gray made me cry
He woke up with his heart pounding, on the verge of tears. He wanted to wear that coat. Had been born to wear that coat. But he didn’t know how to change to make it fit.
, and Saetan too made me cry.
Is all about war and abuse and vengance and fall into darkness of soul and mind, damaged people, scars -more mental than physicals, rape, and... well this is dark fantasy. But only is implied the rape in case you are wondering. Also there is a lot of sex talking, specially of the Janelle/Daemon variety. And gardening.
Despair and disappointment all around. But a promise of a treasure and maybe Dena Nehele coul be saved. If some people can really see beyond.
I like it.
Also is a book about how the survivors of a war with physical and mental torture continue to live with those scars that will never leave them. And how it continues to affect their lives and their relationships with their loved ones. So a lot is about Daemon Saudi too with Jaenelle.
“The residences are always ready. . . .” No, Daemon realized. It wasn’t about the houses. It was about him. It was about staying in a place where he wouldn’t have to be on guard all the time. It was about having servants around him that he could trust.
It was about other people—one Lady in particular—being safe around him because *he* felt safe.
The next book, "Shalador Lady" is the second part of this book, but it did not end in cliffhanger.
Lucivar is still my favorite:
The Eyrien took a step closer. “The first law is not obedience. The first law is to honor, cherish, and protect. The second is to serve. The third is to obey.”
“But if you don’t obey, you get punished.”
The Eyrien studied him. “Everything has a price. You take a chance of being punished, even killed, for challenging a Queen even if you’re doing it to protect her, but you accept that risk and do what you should. If the Queen is truly worthy of your loyalty, she’ll understand the reason for the challenge and back down. Doesn’t mean she’ll like it or be happy with the man, but she’ll back down.”
ok, you have to read the book to understand :P
December 2, 2009
This is not a good book. It is, however, incredibly engaging on a very specific level. If you're looking for reasonable human beings, beautiful turns of phrase, thoughtful politics or believable dialog, this is not the book for you. BUT. If you want melodramatic wish-fullfillment crack, then the only series more suited is Lackey's The Last Herald-Mage.
This is the latest book in Bishop's Black Jewels series. The world is split into two classes: the downtrodden landen (basically serfs) and the Blood, who do magic and have ruled the world for centuries. Blood operate in a very structured hierarchy: those with more magic rule over those with less, and every member of society grows up knowing exactly what their place is. Territories are ruled by Queens, who have a tangled sort of feudal relationship with their Courts of male Blood. Over the centuries, this hierarchy became twisted and malformed, and many people lost their lives or sanity to the sadistic whims of those in power over them. The heroes of the first trilogy, Lucivar, his half-brother Daemon, and their Queen, Jaenelle, all suffered through torture and slavery before finally destroying the most dangerous members of the Blood. Two years later, they are still dealing with the fall-out. Daemon has never quite recovered his sanity, and Jaenelle no longer rules. And despite Jaenelle's best efforts, many territories are still in revolt against the Blood.
Dena Nehele is a provincial backwater, but when the descendent of Jared (from The Invisible Ring) requests help, Jaenelle makes sure to send the person best suited for the job. Cassidy is not beautiful, magically powerful, or aristocratic, but she is a Queen, and she has the right instincts for the job. Her journey toward becoming a true ruler, and her Court's journey to accepting her rule, takes up much of the book.
The usual problems with Bishop apply here. Her books rely upon gender essentialism to an almost unbearable degree. People have inborn rank and power, and going against it is a terrible travesty. Sexual violence, slavery, and violence are talked about on every page, although everything happens either off-screen or before the book begins. The plot is wrapped up poorly. The romance is nontraditional (and actually, about as sketchy as Daemon and Jaenelle's) and not that believable. And yet somehow, I couldn't take my eyes off the pages.
This is the latest book in Bishop's Black Jewels series. The world is split into two classes: the downtrodden landen (basically serfs) and the Blood, who do magic and have ruled the world for centuries. Blood operate in a very structured hierarchy: those with more magic rule over those with less, and every member of society grows up knowing exactly what their place is. Territories are ruled by Queens, who have a tangled sort of feudal relationship with their Courts of male Blood. Over the centuries, this hierarchy became twisted and malformed, and many people lost their lives or sanity to the sadistic whims of those in power over them. The heroes of the first trilogy, Lucivar, his half-brother Daemon, and their Queen, Jaenelle, all suffered through torture and slavery before finally destroying the most dangerous members of the Blood. Two years later, they are still dealing with the fall-out. Daemon has never quite recovered his sanity, and Jaenelle no longer rules. And despite Jaenelle's best efforts, many territories are still in revolt against the Blood.
Dena Nehele is a provincial backwater, but when the descendent of Jared (from The Invisible Ring) requests help, Jaenelle makes sure to send the person best suited for the job. Cassidy is not beautiful, magically powerful, or aristocratic, but she is a Queen, and she has the right instincts for the job. Her journey toward becoming a true ruler, and her Court's journey to accepting her rule, takes up much of the book.
The usual problems with Bishop apply here. Her books rely upon gender essentialism to an almost unbearable degree. People have inborn rank and power, and going against it is a terrible travesty. Sexual violence, slavery, and violence are talked about on every page, although everything happens either off-screen or before the book begins. The plot is wrapped up poorly. The romance is nontraditional (and actually, about as sketchy as Daemon and Jaenelle's) and not that believable. And yet somehow, I couldn't take my eyes off the pages.
September 30, 2023
Halloween Bingo 2023
Bishop tries so hard to write dark fantasy, but I always end up amused by the theatricality of these novels. They are entertaining, but not really all that dark, in my opinion. At any rate, we start with Theran Grayhaven, last heir of his house in a land with very few women of the Blood and no Queens worthy of the title. He goes to Daemon Sadi, counting on a promise to his grandfather for a favour. But Theran is an asshat who thinks that he knows everything, while actually being extremely ignorant. He manages to reveal his asshole nature to everyone he encounters.
Jaenelle happens to know a Queen who is without a court and who would be a good ruler. Lady Cassidy is down to earth, kind, and caring, but she is not conventionally beautiful. Our asshat, Theran, thinks that only exceptionally beautiful women can be good rulers. He does his very best to sabotage the very arrangement that he negotiated. But he hasn't anticipated that his cousin, Gray, will be drawn to Cassidy. Gray is a damaged man, tortured as a young man by one of the sadistic queens who was eliminated during Jaenelle's cleansing. Gray starts towards healing through gardening with Cassidy and their bond develops naturally.
Meanwhile, Theran is being a gigantic pain in the ass. He doesn't want Cassidy to go anywhere or invite any visitors. He blocks all her decisions and generally thwarts everyone's plans. Then he has the gaul to criticise Cassidy for not doing exactly what he wants. And he is shocked when his cousin says, “If she leaves, I go with her.” Thankfully, there are sensible men among the court who are helpful and protective, as they are supposed to be.
Do you know guys like this? Because I do. They judge women by our physical appearance and won't listen to our opinions. Nothing we do is right in their sight and they will go out of their way to try to ruin anything we like. They firmly believe that their views are the only way to look at things. They are very tiresome, but only a problem if you work with them or are related to them and will see them at family gatherings. Otherwise, walking away is pretty much your only choice.
Cassidy comes close to choosing the “walk away" option, but Theran makes one correct decision for once in his miserable life. He receives far more reward than he truly deserves. The next book will continue the tale and reveal whether Cassidy is able to rule without opposition.
I read this to match the Dark, Darker, Grimdark square on my bingo card. It is also Book number 506 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
Bishop tries so hard to write dark fantasy, but I always end up amused by the theatricality of these novels. They are entertaining, but not really all that dark, in my opinion. At any rate, we start with Theran Grayhaven, last heir of his house in a land with very few women of the Blood and no Queens worthy of the title. He goes to Daemon Sadi, counting on a promise to his grandfather for a favour. But Theran is an asshat who thinks that he knows everything, while actually being extremely ignorant. He manages to reveal his asshole nature to everyone he encounters.
Jaenelle happens to know a Queen who is without a court and who would be a good ruler. Lady Cassidy is down to earth, kind, and caring, but she is not conventionally beautiful. Our asshat, Theran, thinks that only exceptionally beautiful women can be good rulers. He does his very best to sabotage the very arrangement that he negotiated. But he hasn't anticipated that his cousin, Gray, will be drawn to Cassidy. Gray is a damaged man, tortured as a young man by one of the sadistic queens who was eliminated during Jaenelle's cleansing. Gray starts towards healing through gardening with Cassidy and their bond develops naturally.
Meanwhile, Theran is being a gigantic pain in the ass. He doesn't want Cassidy to go anywhere or invite any visitors. He blocks all her decisions and generally thwarts everyone's plans. Then he has the gaul to criticise Cassidy for not doing exactly what he wants. And he is shocked when his cousin says, “If she leaves, I go with her.” Thankfully, there are sensible men among the court who are helpful and protective, as they are supposed to be.
Do you know guys like this? Because I do. They judge women by our physical appearance and won't listen to our opinions. Nothing we do is right in their sight and they will go out of their way to try to ruin anything we like. They firmly believe that their views are the only way to look at things. They are very tiresome, but only a problem if you work with them or are related to them and will see them at family gatherings. Otherwise, walking away is pretty much your only choice.
Cassidy comes close to choosing the “walk away" option, but Theran makes one correct decision for once in his miserable life. He receives far more reward than he truly deserves. The next book will continue the tale and reveal whether Cassidy is able to rule without opposition.
I read this to match the Dark, Darker, Grimdark square on my bingo card. It is also Book number 506 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
January 4, 2019
A touching story of healing, of love and hope. A story where neither the Lady, nor her Warlord are perfect. A story for the heart and soul!
I love it to pieces!!!
No matter how many times I read it, it will always be 5 fabulous 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I love it to pieces!!!
No matter how many times I read it, it will always be 5 fabulous 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
August 29, 2018
Bishop needs confidence in her new characters. I loved Lady Cassidy and Gray and wanted more of them, but felt that the constant need for Damian and Lucifer. In fact, Bishop insisted on inserting a completely needless subplot of yet another attempt to seduce Damian by a vicious witch. Why? Oh, why?
Lady Cassidy and Gray, two people in emotional pain, find comfort and solace in each other's company as they bring a garden to life. The readers receive a glimpse of Cassidy's earthy leadership style, but not enough to truly cement her as a major character in the Black Jewels series. If Bishop had more faith in the two main characters, perhaps they would have garnered demand for a sequel.
Instead, I'm just hoping she writes another book in order to finish telling the story - the ending is unsatisfying and abrupt.
Lady Cassidy and Gray, two people in emotional pain, find comfort and solace in each other's company as they bring a garden to life. The readers receive a glimpse of Cassidy's earthy leadership style, but not enough to truly cement her as a major character in the Black Jewels series. If Bishop had more faith in the two main characters, perhaps they would have garnered demand for a sequel.
Instead, I'm just hoping she writes another book in order to finish telling the story - the ending is unsatisfying and abrupt.
March 7, 2010
What?! With the – and the -- what?!
If I wanted to read terrifying outpourings of personal id vortex, full of gender essentialism and staggeringly bad portrayals of PTSD and everyone acting like badly mismanaged three year olds who fuck and slaughter each other at a moment’s notice, I’d spend more time at fanfiction.net, where at least I don’t have to be appalled that someone got paid to write it.
All I can say is, when I read the first chunk of the series last year during my 2L exams at the end of the semester of triumph and sleeplessness and espresso vodka, I was clearly far closer to a psychotic break than I realized.
If I wanted to read terrifying outpourings of personal id vortex, full of gender essentialism and staggeringly bad portrayals of PTSD and everyone acting like badly mismanaged three year olds who fuck and slaughter each other at a moment’s notice, I’d spend more time at fanfiction.net, where at least I don’t have to be appalled that someone got paid to write it.
All I can say is, when I read the first chunk of the series last year during my 2L exams at the end of the semester of triumph and sleeplessness and espresso vodka, I was clearly far closer to a psychotic break than I realized.
March 11, 2020
You guys, I’m gonna be completely honest with you right now… I’m not really in the mood to write a detailed review for this duology… it’s one of my all time favourite stories ever, and I read them about a month ago… and by that I mean I reread them again, cause I already read them multiple times in the past… and they were just as amazing as I remembered them… but I don't have the mental capacity to form all of my thoughts and feelings into coherent sentences… so instead of doing a half ass job of it, I will wait a bit and reread them again… and it will happen soon-ish… like in the next few months I think… honestly, it’s one of those stories that once I finish it I immediately want to go back to it :) and since this time I had such a long break between now and reading them a while ago, I devoured these two giant books in two days, staying up way too late and… well… some small things might have slipped my mind already… so this next time I will be able to slowly go through everything and then I will give you the bestest review ever :) pinkie promise ;)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
January 3, 2019
The Shadow Queen introduces us to Theran Grayhaven, the last of Jared and Lia (from The Invisible Ring)’s bloodline. Set a couple of years after Jaenelle cleared the taint caused by Dorothea, and killed many of the Blood of Terrielle in the process, we see Theran trying to rebuild Dena Nehele but he’s in desperate need of a Queen who knows the old ways of the Blood to help him. Since there are no Queens strong enough left in Terrielle he turns to Daemon for help in the hope he can persuade a Queen from Kaeleer to help him.
Lady Cassidy may only have a Rose jewel but she has all the knowledge Theran needs to help set up a new court at Dena Nehele and she’s the only Queen who doesn’t already have a court of her own. Cassidy is nervous about travelling so far from home and worried that Theran’s people won’t accept her but she knows she is their only hope so she agrees to serve as their queen for a year hoping that will be enough time to teach them protocol.
I absolutely loved this book, we get to see some of my favourite characters again which is something I can never get enough of, but I also really loved getting to know Cassidy and most of the people we meet at Dena Nehele. I have to admit I was more than a little annoyed with Theran by the end of the book, he is disappointed when he first meets Cassidy because he wanted a Queen who was not just more powerful but also more beautiful so he never seems to fully support Cassidy no matter how hard she works to prove herself. Luckily Theran seems to be the only member of her court who is quite so stubborn and the other characters made up for his bad attitude. I particularly loved Gray, someone who suffered unbearably when Dena Nehele was ruled by Dorothea’s pet queens but who is able to look past his fears and see Cassidy for who she really is. I’m totally rooting for a romance between Gray and Cassidy and at the moment I’d be quite happy for Gray to overthrow Theran to get him out of the picture completely!
I’m really looking forward to reading more of Cassidy’s story in Shalador’s Lady and I know this whole series is one I’m going to revisit time and time again in the future.
Lady Cassidy may only have a Rose jewel but she has all the knowledge Theran needs to help set up a new court at Dena Nehele and she’s the only Queen who doesn’t already have a court of her own. Cassidy is nervous about travelling so far from home and worried that Theran’s people won’t accept her but she knows she is their only hope so she agrees to serve as their queen for a year hoping that will be enough time to teach them protocol.
I absolutely loved this book, we get to see some of my favourite characters again which is something I can never get enough of, but I also really loved getting to know Cassidy and most of the people we meet at Dena Nehele. I have to admit I was more than a little annoyed with Theran by the end of the book, he is disappointed when he first meets Cassidy because he wanted a Queen who was not just more powerful but also more beautiful so he never seems to fully support Cassidy no matter how hard she works to prove herself. Luckily Theran seems to be the only member of her court who is quite so stubborn and the other characters made up for his bad attitude. I particularly loved Gray, someone who suffered unbearably when Dena Nehele was ruled by Dorothea’s pet queens but who is able to look past his fears and see Cassidy for who she really is. I’m totally rooting for a romance between Gray and Cassidy and at the moment I’d be quite happy for Gray to overthrow Theran to get him out of the picture completely!
I’m really looking forward to reading more of Cassidy’s story in Shalador’s Lady and I know this whole series is one I’m going to revisit time and time again in the future.
August 1, 2009
No. (Sorry, that's all I can think of to say here.)
May 11, 2024
{3.5 rounded up} This was a nice offshoot of the main series branch, allowing new sidings to grow and develop into their own while not entirely losing track of the OG characters and keeping track of them as well {perhaps even hinting on further things to come}. Not only does it introduce new characters but also explores other territories during the aftermath of past books' events. Had it been a one-off or a start of its own sub-series is yet to be read.
October 28, 2016
2.5 stars
Not a bad fantasy novel but not a good one either. The writing was professional, but the plot, the characters, and the world-building didn’t ring true. Of course, it is #7 in a series, but I’m not tempted to read the first six novels. Neither the world nor its denizens attracted me.
Bishop’s world is ruled by wizards and witches, but for some reason, she calls them Princes and Queens. They are a volatile race, with lots of magical powers but not much of humanity or decency. The story is centered on them, while simple non-magical people are hardly mentioned at all.
These Queens and Princes constantly jockey for power and dominance. Their tempers explode, their passions collide, but I wasn’t impressed. I didn’t sympathize with their plight. Instead, I wanted to puke from all their posturing. They were all repulsive. The Princes and Queens in this story were supposed to be good guys, but I disliked them immensely.
From the backstory, of which there is a lot in this book, I’m guessing that in the past six books, their power plays almost destroyed the world. This book is an aftermath. The main plotline focuses on a territory (a country, a kingdom or a village, I’m not sure) that needs a new Queen. Why? Again I’m not sure. All their previous Queens were evil bitches and were destroyed by whatever cataclysm happened in the first six novels. Now Prince Theran brings home a new Queen, Cassidy, from another realm.
Cassidy is not beautiful, nor powerful. Nobody wants her there. Nobody trusts her. She is unsure of herself, with a bunch of insecurities, and Theran despises her too. But he has to serve her. Again, why? I’m not sure. So he acts like a prick and sabotages her every move.
Theran’s cousin, Gray, is a broken man. When he was fifteen, he was captured and tortured by the evil Queens for two years before he was rescued. Now, he can only work as gardener. His mind and body are not what they could’ve been if he was whole.
Of course, Gray and Cassidy meet and fall in love. They plant flowers too. In the process, they are both redeemed, healed, yada, yada, yada. Theirs is not an original story but it is the best one this book offers. Because of their story I finished reading the novel instead of throwing it away in disgust after the first 50 pages.
The second subplot of the book has nothing to do with the main story. It is all about other Princes (the protagonists from the previous books of the series) and it has to do with their sex lives. Multiplied by their tremendous magical powers, this subplot was distasteful to the extreme.
Overall – really blah.
Not a bad fantasy novel but not a good one either. The writing was professional, but the plot, the characters, and the world-building didn’t ring true. Of course, it is #7 in a series, but I’m not tempted to read the first six novels. Neither the world nor its denizens attracted me.
Bishop’s world is ruled by wizards and witches, but for some reason, she calls them Princes and Queens. They are a volatile race, with lots of magical powers but not much of humanity or decency. The story is centered on them, while simple non-magical people are hardly mentioned at all.
These Queens and Princes constantly jockey for power and dominance. Their tempers explode, their passions collide, but I wasn’t impressed. I didn’t sympathize with their plight. Instead, I wanted to puke from all their posturing. They were all repulsive. The Princes and Queens in this story were supposed to be good guys, but I disliked them immensely.
From the backstory, of which there is a lot in this book, I’m guessing that in the past six books, their power plays almost destroyed the world. This book is an aftermath. The main plotline focuses on a territory (a country, a kingdom or a village, I’m not sure) that needs a new Queen. Why? Again I’m not sure. All their previous Queens were evil bitches and were destroyed by whatever cataclysm happened in the first six novels. Now Prince Theran brings home a new Queen, Cassidy, from another realm.
Cassidy is not beautiful, nor powerful. Nobody wants her there. Nobody trusts her. She is unsure of herself, with a bunch of insecurities, and Theran despises her too. But he has to serve her. Again, why? I’m not sure. So he acts like a prick and sabotages her every move.
Theran’s cousin, Gray, is a broken man. When he was fifteen, he was captured and tortured by the evil Queens for two years before he was rescued. Now, he can only work as gardener. His mind and body are not what they could’ve been if he was whole.
Of course, Gray and Cassidy meet and fall in love. They plant flowers too. In the process, they are both redeemed, healed, yada, yada, yada. Theirs is not an original story but it is the best one this book offers. Because of their story I finished reading the novel instead of throwing it away in disgust after the first 50 pages.
The second subplot of the book has nothing to do with the main story. It is all about other Princes (the protagonists from the previous books of the series) and it has to do with their sex lives. Multiplied by their tremendous magical powers, this subplot was distasteful to the extreme.
Overall – really blah.
January 25, 2015
This series is brilliant. One of the greatest things about it is that the plots are never formulaic and the characters will always keep you guessing. The previous book in this series was an ode to a genre piece gone slightly wrong, but this one gets everything back on track. I can't wait to pick up the next one!
November 16, 2017
Wonderful story! Cassidy is a great character, good Queen! I hope Gray becomes the man he could have been! .
April 1, 2024
Ok, this part reminded me of the initial trilogy and why I loved it so much.
August 20, 2009
Whenever I read a novel by Anne Bishop, I always find myself wondering what issues she may have with men, because the gender dynamics of the worlds she creates are so interesting. That she has much to say about relations between the genders is perhaps most obvious in her Tir Alainn series, the villains of which are guilty of just about everything that has ever been done to oppress women, from female genital mutilation to burning witches. In the Black Jewels universe, in my opinion Bishop’s finest work, the situation is more complex. Males remain physically stronger, but use that strength (for the most part) to defend and protect the females, who rule. So it feels like you get to have a female dominated society while getting to keep the alpha males so popular in romance (though usually not with me). It also feels like the way I’ve heard some describe our own society: with women holding the most power because of what men are willing to do for them. Ah, but I always ask , what if you’re the sort of woman for whom a man won’t even say “bless you” when you sneeze?* Does that leave you utterly powerless and how do you cope?
Lady Cassidy is a queen without a court. She doesn't have great magical power, she isn't of noble background, and, to some, worst of all, she isn't pretty. When her entire court deserts her for a younger, prettier queen, she is devastated. Yet the land of Dena Nehele needs a queen, and Cassidy has the knowledge of protocol to make her an eligible candidate. But with her lack of confidence, beauty, or magical skill, can she command the kind of loyalty she needs from her court? Judging from the example of Theran Grayhaven, the very man who recruited her, maybe not, but Cassidy finds an unexpected ally in his cousin, the damaged, somewhat childlike Gray.
I would highly recommend not reading The Shadow Queen without reading the previous books in the Dark Jewels series, as it ties in to both the original trilogy and the stand alone novel The Invisible Ring. Dena Nehele needs a new queen due to the machinations of the evil queens Dorothea and Hekatah in the original trilogy, who are also responsible for the abuse suffered by Gray which has left him as much boy as man. There are also many appearances of characters from the earlier books, which ends up being rather problematic. When I read the first trilogy, I loved Daemon and Surreal, liked Saetan and Lucivar, and tolerated Jaenelle; you would think I'd be glad to see them show up in The Shadow Queen, too. However, Daemon and Jaenelle have a really annoying story line involving possessiveness and his sexual past; there's plenty of sex, but it doesn't add much to the story, in my opinion. And mercifully briefer but no less annoying is a subplot involving Saetan added near the end of the book. As much as I loved these characters, it's time for them to back away and leave this novel to the new kids.
Speaking of the new kids, what did I think of them? Well, I wanted to defenestrate Theran at times, but I'm fairly sure I was supposed to. Bishop doesn't do subtlety when it comes to her villainous characters, and while I'm not sure Theran is a villain, he certainly isn't very pleasant. And Cassidy I liked; given her history, she could be a sad sack shrinking violet type, but she ends up overcoming her self-esteem issues and genuinely trying to become an effective and worthy queen. Gray seems like a real sweetheart, and I will be interested to see who he becomes as he and Cassidy grow closer and he heals from the trauma of his past. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, though I really hope there are fewer subplots and that the presence of Jaenelle, Daemon et al. becomes much less intrusive.
Lady Cassidy is a queen without a court. She doesn't have great magical power, she isn't of noble background, and, to some, worst of all, she isn't pretty. When her entire court deserts her for a younger, prettier queen, she is devastated. Yet the land of Dena Nehele needs a queen, and Cassidy has the knowledge of protocol to make her an eligible candidate. But with her lack of confidence, beauty, or magical skill, can she command the kind of loyalty she needs from her court? Judging from the example of Theran Grayhaven, the very man who recruited her, maybe not, but Cassidy finds an unexpected ally in his cousin, the damaged, somewhat childlike Gray.
I would highly recommend not reading The Shadow Queen without reading the previous books in the Dark Jewels series, as it ties in to both the original trilogy and the stand alone novel The Invisible Ring. Dena Nehele needs a new queen due to the machinations of the evil queens Dorothea and Hekatah in the original trilogy, who are also responsible for the abuse suffered by Gray which has left him as much boy as man. There are also many appearances of characters from the earlier books, which ends up being rather problematic. When I read the first trilogy, I loved Daemon and Surreal, liked Saetan and Lucivar, and tolerated Jaenelle; you would think I'd be glad to see them show up in The Shadow Queen, too. However, Daemon and Jaenelle have a really annoying story line involving possessiveness and his sexual past; there's plenty of sex, but it doesn't add much to the story, in my opinion. And mercifully briefer but no less annoying is a subplot involving Saetan added near the end of the book. As much as I loved these characters, it's time for them to back away and leave this novel to the new kids.
Speaking of the new kids, what did I think of them? Well, I wanted to defenestrate Theran at times, but I'm fairly sure I was supposed to. Bishop doesn't do subtlety when it comes to her villainous characters, and while I'm not sure Theran is a villain, he certainly isn't very pleasant. And Cassidy I liked; given her history, she could be a sad sack shrinking violet type, but she ends up overcoming her self-esteem issues and genuinely trying to become an effective and worthy queen. Gray seems like a real sweetheart, and I will be interested to see who he becomes as he and Cassidy grow closer and he heals from the trauma of his past. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, though I really hope there are fewer subplots and that the presence of Jaenelle, Daemon et al. becomes much less intrusive.
April 18, 2009
Not too many authors give me that electric thrill of excitement when I have one of their books in hand, but Anne Bishop and her Black Jewels books are always one of them. In this book, the main story is focused on a few new characters, but also contains a great deal of supporting plot threads with all the old, favorite characters from the original trilogy. Was a little disappointed that the story ended where it did (I need more, I tell you, MORE, MORE, MORE!!!) but I could see the dramatic value of it.
May 8, 2025
ja it was very gut
2025: Cassidy and Gray have such a great relationship!!! I love!!!!
2025: Cassidy and Gray have such a great relationship!!! I love!!!!
March 16, 2025
5 stars
i look like a zombie but it was soooo worthy i loved this one so much!!!!!!!!
i look like a zombie but it was soooo worthy i loved this one so much!!!!!!!!
March 5, 2023
Every time I re-read the 3 books specific to this storyline in the series I appreciate it more each time, I love the characters and how they develop and grow into their own
November 27, 2020
The Black Jewels series continues to be my go-to when I need a comfort re-read, a fantasy world I can sink into like a hot bath, and yes, if you know much about me and my worldview, you’d think these would be the furthest things from comfortable. And yet, here we are. The Cassidy duology in particular, comprised of The Shadow Queen and Shalador’s Lady, are very high up on the list for me, very close to the core trilogy in terms of my enjoyment.
The duology takes place some years after the conclusion of Queen of the Darkness, the final book of the core trilogy, after Jaenelle has destroyed the taint that was destroying the Blood. The Territory of Dena Nehele has seen more than its fair share of horror, and now with no Queens suitable to rule it, Theran, last of the Grayhaven line, seeks aid from Daemon Sadi. Theran requests a Queen from Kaeleer come to rule them, a Queen who knows the Old Ways and will restore pride and stability to the Territory, somebody who will dazzle and draw strength to her and keep everything and everyone in line.
What he gets is Cassidy, a Queen without a Court, with light Jewels and thus not much magical power, a hardworking tall woman who isn’t remotely the dazzler Theran wishes for, but is the very Queen that will make or break Dena Nehele’s future. Whether it’s “make” or “break” depends on Cassidy’s spirit, and Theran’s willingness to accept what he asked for even if it isn’t what he hoped for.
The Shadow Queen has a lot in it about overcoming trauma, and similar traumas and recoveries are seen not just in newly introduced characters like Gray or Cassidy, but also in well-established ones like Daemon. Both Gray and Daemon have been deeply hurt, broken by what was inflicted upon them in their past, and sometimes those memories and emotions rise to the surface and change everything about the present. PTSD triggers, essentially, because I’m not sure there are any characters in this series who don’t have at least some degree of PTSD. Both of them also need (and have, though Gray is only just discovering this) what they need to help them start to overcome those traumas.
This book is not saying that love conquers all and will heal all wounds, but it is saying that acceptance and safety are foundational to any sort of recovery. So too is a reason to recover; we all need sufficient motivation to keep pushing onward, and since there is no universal experience with trauma, it can be easier or harder to find that motivation, depending on the person and their situation. I’ve heard a number of people talk about how unrealistic this approach is, that the book is essentially saying that you just need a romantic/sexual partner in your life in order to recover from years of torture, and for my part, I’ve never seen it that way. I’ve always seen it as expressing, well, exactly what I stated above. Especially given that part of Daemon’s foundation is his father’s love and acceptance, and his ongoing relationship with his half-brother; nothing romantic or sexual there! Gray’s recovery does hinge a lot on his desire to be a man worthy of Cassidy’s attention, but some of that also comes down to the bond between Queens and Warlord Princes, which is clearly established both in this book and other books across the Black Jewels series.
But the other strong theme in this book is central to Theran’s story, and it’s in being willing to accept what you ask for even if it’s not quite what you expect. Theran asked for a Queen who knew the Old Ways of the Blood, who was willing to work hard for the people and land of Dena Nehele, and he got exactly that. But he already had an image of what kind of Queen he wanted for his people that not only was he unwilling to accept Cassidy when she didn’t fit that image, not only was he willing to ignore that many others sided with Cassidy and were willing to work with her, but he actively prevented Cassidy from doing the very work he brought her there to do. He was convinced that everyone had the same reaction to her that he did, that the others were pretending to get along with her, that she was secretly doing harm or wouldn’t be accepted by the people, and essentially got in his own way the entire time. He was so concerned with the surface that he never took a moment to look beneath, unless he was doing so to reflect on how Cassidy didn’t measure up to the image he wanted for a Queen.
Honestly, I could go on at length about a number of things in this book, because there’s a lot to unpack. That’s what makes it so enjoyable for me, in many ways. Not only is it set in a world I adore, but it also has plenty to think about and reflect on, from trauma to the nature of dedication, to retribution and vengeance and justice, to the conflict between what needs to be done versus what people want to do. I love Cassidy as a character, and she’s exactly the sort of people I’d love to consider a friend, which is actually pretty uncommon in the books I tend to read. There are loads of characters I love to read about, plenty of characters whose stories I love to follow, but rarely do I actually encounter characters where I can say, “You know, if I met you, I think I’d like to be your friend.” The recurring characters of the series, Jaenelle and Daemon and Lucivar and Saetan? I could never be their friend. Not because they’re bad people or that they terrify me or anything like that, but because they are so far out of my league that associating with them would feel like they were pitying me just be deigning to acknowledge me. Cassidy? Nah, she feels like someone I’d get together with for tea and chats, like we could see each other on relatively equal levels.
Cassidy also provides an excellent contrast to what fans of the series will have grown used to. Most of the time, these stories are all about dark-Jeweled people with massive amounts of power and influence. Cassidy, though, has light Jewels and wouldn’t be the sort of person you’d think could have multiple novels starring her, not in this world! But the author uses this as a great opportunity to establish that innate powers and fearful influence aren’t the only ways a person can make a difference. You don’t have to be rarity to change things for the better, and you don’t have to have great strength to stand on your own. We’re all used to reading novels about the extraordinary that it’s easy to forget that some of these characters really are extraordinary, so it’s rather refreshing to see a story written about somebody who could come from anywhere, at any time, without a great fate or origin story or any of that to set them above others. Cassidy isn’t exactly the everyperson sort of character, she’s far too much of her own person for me to call her that, but she is far more representative of the Blood than characters like Daemon or Lucivar, and so there’s that inspirational aspirational aspect to her.
It’s hard for me to say that this duology could be read without having read the core trilogy first. It does recap some relevant events, and there’s the usual establishing of the rules that the Blood live by, so new readers wouldn’t find themselves completely lost, but I think the half of the story that really centres on Daemon will lose a lot of its impact and relevance without the core trilogy to provide context. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary, but I will say that you’d end up missing a lot of character motivations and connections and history, as well as reasons to really care about a lot of the recurring cast to begin with. If you enjoyed the core trilogy, though, then I have no doubt that you’ll like The Shadow Queen as well.
Ultimately, I still adore this novel every time I read it, and it always brings me comfort and happiness when I take the time to sit down with it again. It’s a familiar story to me at this point, but no less poignant every time I read it. I love the world, I love the characters, and I love the message that greatness can come from anywhere, that we are not always tethered to the traumas in our past, and that from ruin can rise a brighter future if we’re willing to put the work in. It’s not too surprising that these aspects bring me comfort in troubled times.
(Also, this book is a great example of the character on the cover not looking remotely like the character in the book. The Cassidy on the cover art is attractive, thin, classically beautiful. The Cassidy in the book is tall and big-boned and gawky and freckled. Her appearance is part of why Theran becomes something of an antagonist. It’s kind of a disservice to her very character to have her presented that way on the cover, if you ask me.)
The duology takes place some years after the conclusion of Queen of the Darkness, the final book of the core trilogy, after Jaenelle has destroyed the taint that was destroying the Blood. The Territory of Dena Nehele has seen more than its fair share of horror, and now with no Queens suitable to rule it, Theran, last of the Grayhaven line, seeks aid from Daemon Sadi. Theran requests a Queen from Kaeleer come to rule them, a Queen who knows the Old Ways and will restore pride and stability to the Territory, somebody who will dazzle and draw strength to her and keep everything and everyone in line.
What he gets is Cassidy, a Queen without a Court, with light Jewels and thus not much magical power, a hardworking tall woman who isn’t remotely the dazzler Theran wishes for, but is the very Queen that will make or break Dena Nehele’s future. Whether it’s “make” or “break” depends on Cassidy’s spirit, and Theran’s willingness to accept what he asked for even if it isn’t what he hoped for.
The Shadow Queen has a lot in it about overcoming trauma, and similar traumas and recoveries are seen not just in newly introduced characters like Gray or Cassidy, but also in well-established ones like Daemon. Both Gray and Daemon have been deeply hurt, broken by what was inflicted upon them in their past, and sometimes those memories and emotions rise to the surface and change everything about the present. PTSD triggers, essentially, because I’m not sure there are any characters in this series who don’t have at least some degree of PTSD. Both of them also need (and have, though Gray is only just discovering this) what they need to help them start to overcome those traumas.
This book is not saying that love conquers all and will heal all wounds, but it is saying that acceptance and safety are foundational to any sort of recovery. So too is a reason to recover; we all need sufficient motivation to keep pushing onward, and since there is no universal experience with trauma, it can be easier or harder to find that motivation, depending on the person and their situation. I’ve heard a number of people talk about how unrealistic this approach is, that the book is essentially saying that you just need a romantic/sexual partner in your life in order to recover from years of torture, and for my part, I’ve never seen it that way. I’ve always seen it as expressing, well, exactly what I stated above. Especially given that part of Daemon’s foundation is his father’s love and acceptance, and his ongoing relationship with his half-brother; nothing romantic or sexual there! Gray’s recovery does hinge a lot on his desire to be a man worthy of Cassidy’s attention, but some of that also comes down to the bond between Queens and Warlord Princes, which is clearly established both in this book and other books across the Black Jewels series.
But the other strong theme in this book is central to Theran’s story, and it’s in being willing to accept what you ask for even if it’s not quite what you expect. Theran asked for a Queen who knew the Old Ways of the Blood, who was willing to work hard for the people and land of Dena Nehele, and he got exactly that. But he already had an image of what kind of Queen he wanted for his people that not only was he unwilling to accept Cassidy when she didn’t fit that image, not only was he willing to ignore that many others sided with Cassidy and were willing to work with her, but he actively prevented Cassidy from doing the very work he brought her there to do. He was convinced that everyone had the same reaction to her that he did, that the others were pretending to get along with her, that she was secretly doing harm or wouldn’t be accepted by the people, and essentially got in his own way the entire time. He was so concerned with the surface that he never took a moment to look beneath, unless he was doing so to reflect on how Cassidy didn’t measure up to the image he wanted for a Queen.
Honestly, I could go on at length about a number of things in this book, because there’s a lot to unpack. That’s what makes it so enjoyable for me, in many ways. Not only is it set in a world I adore, but it also has plenty to think about and reflect on, from trauma to the nature of dedication, to retribution and vengeance and justice, to the conflict between what needs to be done versus what people want to do. I love Cassidy as a character, and she’s exactly the sort of people I’d love to consider a friend, which is actually pretty uncommon in the books I tend to read. There are loads of characters I love to read about, plenty of characters whose stories I love to follow, but rarely do I actually encounter characters where I can say, “You know, if I met you, I think I’d like to be your friend.” The recurring characters of the series, Jaenelle and Daemon and Lucivar and Saetan? I could never be their friend. Not because they’re bad people or that they terrify me or anything like that, but because they are so far out of my league that associating with them would feel like they were pitying me just be deigning to acknowledge me. Cassidy? Nah, she feels like someone I’d get together with for tea and chats, like we could see each other on relatively equal levels.
Cassidy also provides an excellent contrast to what fans of the series will have grown used to. Most of the time, these stories are all about dark-Jeweled people with massive amounts of power and influence. Cassidy, though, has light Jewels and wouldn’t be the sort of person you’d think could have multiple novels starring her, not in this world! But the author uses this as a great opportunity to establish that innate powers and fearful influence aren’t the only ways a person can make a difference. You don’t have to be rarity to change things for the better, and you don’t have to have great strength to stand on your own. We’re all used to reading novels about the extraordinary that it’s easy to forget that some of these characters really are extraordinary, so it’s rather refreshing to see a story written about somebody who could come from anywhere, at any time, without a great fate or origin story or any of that to set them above others. Cassidy isn’t exactly the everyperson sort of character, she’s far too much of her own person for me to call her that, but she is far more representative of the Blood than characters like Daemon or Lucivar, and so there’s that inspirational aspirational aspect to her.
It’s hard for me to say that this duology could be read without having read the core trilogy first. It does recap some relevant events, and there’s the usual establishing of the rules that the Blood live by, so new readers wouldn’t find themselves completely lost, but I think the half of the story that really centres on Daemon will lose a lot of its impact and relevance without the core trilogy to provide context. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary, but I will say that you’d end up missing a lot of character motivations and connections and history, as well as reasons to really care about a lot of the recurring cast to begin with. If you enjoyed the core trilogy, though, then I have no doubt that you’ll like The Shadow Queen as well.
Ultimately, I still adore this novel every time I read it, and it always brings me comfort and happiness when I take the time to sit down with it again. It’s a familiar story to me at this point, but no less poignant every time I read it. I love the world, I love the characters, and I love the message that greatness can come from anywhere, that we are not always tethered to the traumas in our past, and that from ruin can rise a brighter future if we’re willing to put the work in. It’s not too surprising that these aspects bring me comfort in troubled times.
(Also, this book is a great example of the character on the cover not looking remotely like the character in the book. The Cassidy on the cover art is attractive, thin, classically beautiful. The Cassidy in the book is tall and big-boned and gawky and freckled. Her appearance is part of why Theran becomes something of an antagonist. It’s kind of a disservice to her very character to have her presented that way on the cover, if you ask me.)
September 13, 2017
This story was a great mix of all of the previous Black Jewels novels and some new and very interesting characters. I loved that this resolved a lot from The Invisible Ring, as well as some from the actual trilogy. This deals with the descendants of the characters from The Invisible Ring, as well as the cast that readers of the series know and love from the trilogy.
I had some issues with Theran Grayhaven, the descendant of Jared and Lia. He's not a very likable character for most of the novel, whereas the queen, for me, was immediately likable. Something about a very "plain" girl in comparison to all the glamorous characters that normally are in Bishop's story was very refreshing. I loved watching her story unfold, and seeing Theran develop into less of an annoying prick.
I loved the balance between the old cast and the new. A lot of this story is actually about Jaenelle, Daemon, Saeton and Lucivar, not just Cassidy and Theran. I wish she had spent a bit more time concentrating on the new characters, since at times the story of Jaenelle really did seem to overpower the new story, but it worked well and I loved the entire story.
This was a story that really hooked me and kept me reading too late into the night, all while I was trying to prolong it as long as possible! While this could be read as a stand-alone, I can't see readers getting as much enjoyment out of it if they haven't read the previous novels (with the exception of Tangled Webs, which there's one little reference to it in this entire novel so it could be skipped) since there are so many references and inside jokes.
I had some issues with Theran Grayhaven, the descendant of Jared and Lia. He's not a very likable character for most of the novel, whereas the queen, for me, was immediately likable. Something about a very "plain" girl in comparison to all the glamorous characters that normally are in Bishop's story was very refreshing. I loved watching her story unfold, and seeing Theran develop into less of an annoying prick.
I loved the balance between the old cast and the new. A lot of this story is actually about Jaenelle, Daemon, Saeton and Lucivar, not just Cassidy and Theran. I wish she had spent a bit more time concentrating on the new characters, since at times the story of Jaenelle really did seem to overpower the new story, but it worked well and I loved the entire story.
This was a story that really hooked me and kept me reading too late into the night, all while I was trying to prolong it as long as possible! While this could be read as a stand-alone, I can't see readers getting as much enjoyment out of it if they haven't read the previous novels (with the exception of Tangled Webs, which there's one little reference to it in this entire novel so it could be skipped) since there are so many references and inside jokes.
February 26, 2009
When I read the first chapter of The Shadow Queen, I was sure that I would end up hating it. I thought that the new characters would be pale representations of the Blood that I had fallen in love with and was upset to think that I might have to stop reading Anne Bishop's novels in order to retain my pleasure in the Black Jewels Trilogy. I'm happy to report that I was wrong, wrong, wrong! The new characters meshed perfectly with the old because they weren't expected to be like them... matter of fact, they were nearly the opposite.
And the old characters? Oooh, thank you, Ms. Bishop, for bringing them back in all of their dark glory! I loved the insight into Saetan and Daemon, the problems that they encountered, the realizations that they came to... and the humor that is always lurking beneath the surface.
The two vastly different worlds - that of the lighter jeweled Blood and the darker jeweled Blood - were meshed so perfectly that I have no complaint other then that I wish the book had been longer. In highlighting the differences between the new and old characters, Ms. Bishop was able to satisfy a persons longing for a return to the "old Blood", but still carry on the story of a world that is still healing.
I feel that this story is not finished, since Gray and Cassie never achieved a true resolution. I can't wait for the next book to come out so that I can see what happens with them!
And the old characters? Oooh, thank you, Ms. Bishop, for bringing them back in all of their dark glory! I loved the insight into Saetan and Daemon, the problems that they encountered, the realizations that they came to... and the humor that is always lurking beneath the surface.
The two vastly different worlds - that of the lighter jeweled Blood and the darker jeweled Blood - were meshed so perfectly that I have no complaint other then that I wish the book had been longer. In highlighting the differences between the new and old characters, Ms. Bishop was able to satisfy a persons longing for a return to the "old Blood", but still carry on the story of a world that is still healing.
I feel that this story is not finished, since Gray and Cassie never achieved a true resolution. I can't wait for the next book to come out so that I can see what happens with them!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2010
Compared to the original Black Jewels Trilogy this addition to the Black Jewels books is a fluffy, romantic read, but certainly a beautiful read as well. Next to revisiting characters from the original trilogy this story adds more depth and new characters to the Black Jewels world. And there are some really cool characters I can tell you. Bishop's writing is vivid and rich as always and just one of the many reasons I can reread her work time and time again. Having read this book before having read the original trilogy I can safely say it can be read seperately, but I will warn you that after reading this book you will want to read the other books as well.
June 26, 2024
I loved this book, in fact I'd have a hard time picking a favorite from this series.
August 3, 2017
I am having a terrible time writing this review. The problem is, I've been having a bit of a mediocre reading year, and this is only the third book that I've rated at 5 stars. And objectively, it's not really a book that deserves 5 stars. As many other people have commented, these books are pure id-driven wish-fulfillment, and the relationships that they portray are really not terribly healthy. I know this, and yet. The original Black Jewels Trilogy was one of those formative reading experiences for me, and the style that these books are written in is still one that I find absolutely addictive. I read the majority of this book in a single sitting. The only reason I stopped was because good sense asserted itself, and I decided to go to bed and make sure I could function at work the following day.
The gender politics in these books are terrible. They twist things so that women are simultaneously stronger and weaker, and so that men are more dangerous, more subservient, and more protective. It's often very black and white, and although a small part of me really enjoys the idea, I would never want to see it in real life. Things are ever so much more complicated than these books want to make them. But while I can acknowledge that the views presented in this book are not at all healthy, I also find them strangely addictive on a limited basis.
With those details in mind, I suppose I can actually review the book. This book and its sequel take on the situation of the people of Dena Nehele, a land that was previously featured in The Invisible Ring. I think I would say that The Invisible Ring was probably my favorite of the earlier books, so I guess it makes sense that I would really be drawn into this one. I also really liked that we had a brand new character to follow in Cassidy, although, of course, many old favorites make frequent appearances.
On the bright side, this book shows more societal depth than most of the other books in the series. First, Cassidy wears a jewel so light that the earlier books probably wouldn't even have bothered to mention it. Second, the book addresses the landens, albeit in a still fairly limited fashion. It also deals with the Shaladoran people, a minority who have been relegated to reservations. If you've read prior books, you should know that this is a lot of depth for these books, and I definitely appreciated it.
In general, I felt like this was less about epic battles between good and evil, and more about rebuilding after those epic moments, which is a theme that I tend to really enjoy. Probably another reason that I enjoyed the book so much. A lot of the focus is on societal mores and the ways that the characters are able to use Protocol to influence each other, rather than hurting feelings and pride by just saying what they want.
Of course, you can still get a bit of that. Jaenelle and Daemon have a very strong presence in the book, and the two of them get their own side story that's present throughout the book. Personally, I could have done without that, but it wasn't a terrible addition. The drama is more overblown with them, as is normal, so I guess it can at least serve to give you that dose of the dramatic that you probably enjoy if you like these books.
In short, even though I loved this book, I don't feel comfortable recommending the series, or even this book in particular. If you've already read books in the series and know what you're getting yourself into, then go right ahead and dive in. Otherwise, perhaps it's best to steer clear.
The gender politics in these books are terrible. They twist things so that women are simultaneously stronger and weaker, and so that men are more dangerous, more subservient, and more protective. It's often very black and white, and although a small part of me really enjoys the idea, I would never want to see it in real life. Things are ever so much more complicated than these books want to make them. But while I can acknowledge that the views presented in this book are not at all healthy, I also find them strangely addictive on a limited basis.
With those details in mind, I suppose I can actually review the book. This book and its sequel take on the situation of the people of Dena Nehele, a land that was previously featured in The Invisible Ring. I think I would say that The Invisible Ring was probably my favorite of the earlier books, so I guess it makes sense that I would really be drawn into this one. I also really liked that we had a brand new character to follow in Cassidy, although, of course, many old favorites make frequent appearances.
On the bright side, this book shows more societal depth than most of the other books in the series. First, Cassidy wears a jewel so light that the earlier books probably wouldn't even have bothered to mention it. Second, the book addresses the landens, albeit in a still fairly limited fashion. It also deals with the Shaladoran people, a minority who have been relegated to reservations. If you've read prior books, you should know that this is a lot of depth for these books, and I definitely appreciated it.
In general, I felt like this was less about epic battles between good and evil, and more about rebuilding after those epic moments, which is a theme that I tend to really enjoy. Probably another reason that I enjoyed the book so much. A lot of the focus is on societal mores and the ways that the characters are able to use Protocol to influence each other, rather than hurting feelings and pride by just saying what they want.
Of course, you can still get a bit of that. Jaenelle and Daemon have a very strong presence in the book, and the two of them get their own side story that's present throughout the book. Personally, I could have done without that, but it wasn't a terrible addition. The drama is more overblown with them, as is normal, so I guess it can at least serve to give you that dose of the dramatic that you probably enjoy if you like these books.
In short, even though I loved this book, I don't feel comfortable recommending the series, or even this book in particular. If you've already read books in the series and know what you're getting yourself into, then go right ahead and dive in. Otherwise, perhaps it's best to steer clear.
December 9, 2023
I reckon this is only the second time I've read this book since I got it a good half dozen years ago. And, if I'm being honest? It held up just as well this time around as it did the first time.
There's a lot going on in this book, a duology with the next one after this to be honest, and I've always been skeptical of the idea that a book this late in a series can be read completely stand alone. Perhaps if there were just new characters being introduced...
But anyway, our main cast of characters from the original Black Jewel's trilogy is here, dealing with the scars that have come after the war that was fought and won. Daemon and Saetan in particular both show signs of PTSD, with both of them going into what in another world could be called a dissociative state.
And then we are introduced to a new cast of characters: Cassidy, a Rose Jewelled Queen who doesn't have a Territory to rule, as well as Theran who doesn't have a Queen to rule his Territory. Jaenelle, of course, sees a perfect solution to both these problems, as well as tying them together for the duration of a year of service, unless anything from a list of rules put together causes this contract to be terminated earlier.
It's not Theran who's of interest in this novel, however, but his cousin Grey. PTSD from the horrors before the war ended is a big theme in this novel, and Grey is another who has his share of scars. Which is why he gets along so well with Saetan and Daemon, while Theran does not.
The story is doing a lot with its dual narratives, but I do feel as though it successfully navigates through them both and leaves the reader feeling satisfied by all character and plot trajectories by the end.
There's a lot going on in this book, a duology with the next one after this to be honest, and I've always been skeptical of the idea that a book this late in a series can be read completely stand alone. Perhaps if there were just new characters being introduced...
But anyway, our main cast of characters from the original Black Jewel's trilogy is here, dealing with the scars that have come after the war that was fought and won. Daemon and Saetan in particular both show signs of PTSD, with both of them going into what in another world could be called a dissociative state.
And then we are introduced to a new cast of characters: Cassidy, a Rose Jewelled Queen who doesn't have a Territory to rule, as well as Theran who doesn't have a Queen to rule his Territory. Jaenelle, of course, sees a perfect solution to both these problems, as well as tying them together for the duration of a year of service, unless anything from a list of rules put together causes this contract to be terminated earlier.
It's not Theran who's of interest in this novel, however, but his cousin Grey. PTSD from the horrors before the war ended is a big theme in this novel, and Grey is another who has his share of scars. Which is why he gets along so well with Saetan and Daemon, while Theran does not.
The story is doing a lot with its dual narratives, but I do feel as though it successfully navigates through them both and leaves the reader feeling satisfied by all character and plot trajectories by the end.
March 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I felt for Cassidy, I really did.
The book did a really good job of explaining the reason so many males went bad. I liked the advice Cassidy received. But most of all, I liked how the characters grew and evolved.
I gained a sincere appreciation for the Scelties.
The book did a really good job of explaining the reason so many males went bad. I liked the advice Cassidy received. But most of all, I liked how the characters grew and evolved.
I gained a sincere appreciation for the Scelties.
November 30, 2018
I just keep loving this world the author created
July 10, 2018
This one was much better. Really enjoyed it! I wanted to dropkick Theran a lot though ... that boiiiiii. Loved everyone else <3
March 1, 2023
I love it when we finally get a tiny piece of the story that we were missing!!!
+ every single scene with Deamon is going straight to my heart I'm sorry
+ every single scene with Deamon is going straight to my heart I'm sorry
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