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The Black Jewels #8
Shalador's Lady
Return to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s world of the Black Jewels—where a Queen has emerged from the shadows to bring hope to an impoverished people…
For years the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. And even though the refugees have found sanctuary in Dena Nehele, they have never been able to call it home.
Now that Dena Nehele has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, knows that restoring the land will require all her heart and courage as she summons the untested power within her, a power capable of consuming her if she cannot control it.
And even if Lady Cassidy survives her trial by fire, other dangers await. For the Black Widows see visions within their tangled webs that something is coming that will change the land—and Lady Cassidy—forever...
For years the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. And even though the refugees have found sanctuary in Dena Nehele, they have never been able to call it home.
Now that Dena Nehele has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, knows that restoring the land will require all her heart and courage as she summons the untested power within her, a power capable of consuming her if she cannot control it.
And even if Lady Cassidy survives her trial by fire, other dangers await. For the Black Widows see visions within their tangled webs that something is coming that will change the land—and Lady Cassidy—forever...
557 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2010
181 people are currently reading
5899 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 363 reviews
September 1, 2019
I’ve enjoyed the Black Jewels series. We’ve now made it past the main conflict story of the first three books and Shalador’s Lady doesn’t have all the horror of the first trilogy. What it does have is an interesting tale of trying to rebuild a land after most of the corruption has been cut out.
Cassidy is so likeable that she is an easy character to root for. I’ve enjoyed how in her kind and simple ways she has taken over the care of the land in Dena Nehele and it is starting to prosper. The only person in Dena Nahele that hasn’t been completely charmed by her is Theran and since he is the only living heir of The Gray Lady and the owner of the residence, they are lining in currently he still has some sway. I can’t help but think that Jarrod would be so disappointed in his heir.
When Kermilla, the Queen that stole Cassidy’s first court shows up, Theran finally feels the draw to the beautiful Queen he thinks would be great for Dena Nehele. As Theran tries to find a way to make Kermilla the new Queen lines will be drawn, lands with be divided and people will be tested. Is Cassidy going to lose another court to the pretty Queen or can she hold on to them and this land that calls to her.
I get so caught up in the day to day of the people living in these books. I enjoyed the story of Cassidy and Jared Blaed Grayhaven. The way that he came out of his shell for her was fantastic. The slow growing love story between them was totally adorable. Jared had some good teachers in Sataen, Daemon and Lucivar so I think Cassidy is going to have her hands full with him.
I’ve grown to love this world and the characters in it. This tale was a little anticlimactic in the resolution, but I didn’t see that as a really bad thing. This is the new world that Witch gave her power for and I think that the resolution was perfect for that. I also LOVED the Queen Theran ended up serving in the end and how funny Janaelle can be.
Wonderful conclusion/beginning to Cassidy and Shalador’s story.
Cassidy is so likeable that she is an easy character to root for. I’ve enjoyed how in her kind and simple ways she has taken over the care of the land in Dena Nehele and it is starting to prosper. The only person in Dena Nahele that hasn’t been completely charmed by her is Theran and since he is the only living heir of The Gray Lady and the owner of the residence, they are lining in currently he still has some sway. I can’t help but think that Jarrod would be so disappointed in his heir.
When Kermilla, the Queen that stole Cassidy’s first court shows up, Theran finally feels the draw to the beautiful Queen he thinks would be great for Dena Nehele. As Theran tries to find a way to make Kermilla the new Queen lines will be drawn, lands with be divided and people will be tested. Is Cassidy going to lose another court to the pretty Queen or can she hold on to them and this land that calls to her.
I get so caught up in the day to day of the people living in these books. I enjoyed the story of Cassidy and Jared Blaed Grayhaven. The way that he came out of his shell for her was fantastic. The slow growing love story between them was totally adorable. Jared had some good teachers in Sataen, Daemon and Lucivar so I think Cassidy is going to have her hands full with him.
I’ve grown to love this world and the characters in it. This tale was a little anticlimactic in the resolution, but I didn’t see that as a really bad thing. This is the new world that Witch gave her power for and I think that the resolution was perfect for that. I also LOVED the Queen Theran ended up serving in the end and how funny Janaelle can be.
Wonderful conclusion/beginning to Cassidy and Shalador’s story.
October 1, 2023
I did an impulsive thing last night and checked out the e-book version of this novel from the library. I thought it was safe—I like these books, but don't love them. I could set it down at any time and go to bed, right? Wrong! I was up until 2 a.m. finishing it and this morning I am guzzling coffee like my life depends on it. I have therefore bumped my star rating of this book up to 4.
I mean, there are still all the conflicting ideas about magic, rank, and who protects whom. There's still a lot of unconvincing snapping and snarling. But I have to agree with the idea at the core of this book: leadership is important. It's much preferable to have a government leader who actually cares about the governed people rather than a selfish leader who just cares about what they can get out of their position.
Theran Grayhaven proves that he's a complete and utter idiot in this volume. Cassidy has been the attentive, caring queen who found his family's hidden treasures, but he can't ditch her quickly enough when her nemesis Kermilla turns up. And we know from the previous book that Kermilla is selfish, extravagant, and manipulative. Still, Theran invites her to stay at Grayhaven as his special guest. Cassidy has a crisis of confidence and a personal meltdown. Her First Circle decides to move her court to Shalador and leave Grayhaven and Theran behind. A very sensible move.
Cassidy may not be classically beautiful (and I have to ask, why is this point emphasized so?), but she cares for those in her lands. She wants all of her subjects to be healthy and happy. So you can probably guess a lot of the subsequent plot points. What's kind of sad is that Theran cares about his people too. Just not enough to quit selfishly wanting Kermilla to be Queen of his lands.
I did think it a bit exaggerated when nobody at all supported Theran. There should have been a few entitled Blood characters who couldn't see past appearances. I also wished that Bishop had given Cassidy a bit more backbone. I would have liked her more if she didn't need her confidence bolstered by the men in her First Circle so regularly. She should have stood up for herself more forcefully. After all, you aren't a good leader if you don't believe in yourself and your programs.
Apparently this series is growing on me. Now back to my regularly scheduled reading. Coffee cups up to enjoyable books!
Book number 507 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
I mean, there are still all the conflicting ideas about magic, rank, and who protects whom. There's still a lot of unconvincing snapping and snarling. But I have to agree with the idea at the core of this book: leadership is important. It's much preferable to have a government leader who actually cares about the governed people rather than a selfish leader who just cares about what they can get out of their position.
Theran Grayhaven proves that he's a complete and utter idiot in this volume. Cassidy has been the attentive, caring queen who found his family's hidden treasures, but he can't ditch her quickly enough when her nemesis Kermilla turns up. And we know from the previous book that Kermilla is selfish, extravagant, and manipulative. Still, Theran invites her to stay at Grayhaven as his special guest. Cassidy has a crisis of confidence and a personal meltdown. Her First Circle decides to move her court to Shalador and leave Grayhaven and Theran behind. A very sensible move.
Cassidy may not be classically beautiful (and I have to ask, why is this point emphasized so?), but she cares for those in her lands. She wants all of her subjects to be healthy and happy. So you can probably guess a lot of the subsequent plot points. What's kind of sad is that Theran cares about his people too. Just not enough to quit selfishly wanting Kermilla to be Queen of his lands.
I did think it a bit exaggerated when nobody at all supported Theran. There should have been a few entitled Blood characters who couldn't see past appearances. I also wished that Bishop had given Cassidy a bit more backbone. I would have liked her more if she didn't need her confidence bolstered by the men in her First Circle so regularly. She should have stood up for herself more forcefully. After all, you aren't a good leader if you don't believe in yourself and your programs.
Apparently this series is growing on me. Now back to my regularly scheduled reading. Coffee cups up to enjoyable books!
Book number 507 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
January 7, 2019
Would you like to know what kind of dress would make your man’s ‘tongue hit his toes and have his eyes roll back in his head’? Or what it would take for a little sister to want to ‘kill her big brother flatter than dead’? What it would take to make a lady ‘go hissy cat about’? Or what would make a demon lord laugh himself silly?
Then read this and find out! :)
The Shadow Queen and Shalador’s Lady are my all-time favourite books!
They tell a heart-warming story of love, trust and honour; a story of survival and healing. And the best part about it is that its characters are not perfect. The lady is plain and not even pretty and her warlord is scarred and broken. And both are just like the people they are trying to save.
The writing is easy going and the story peppered with witty dialogues and funny scenes that will at least make you smile if not burst out laughing. You even get little doggies floating on air waist high with one paw raised to shake or ready to nip a human’s butt if said human ‘needs training’.
Re-Read for the I don't even remember how many times, because I love these books to pieces!!!
Then read this and find out! :)
The Shadow Queen and Shalador’s Lady are my all-time favourite books!
They tell a heart-warming story of love, trust and honour; a story of survival and healing. And the best part about it is that its characters are not perfect. The lady is plain and not even pretty and her warlord is scarred and broken. And both are just like the people they are trying to save.
The writing is easy going and the story peppered with witty dialogues and funny scenes that will at least make you smile if not burst out laughing. You even get little doggies floating on air waist high with one paw raised to shake or ready to nip a human’s butt if said human ‘needs training’.
Re-Read for the I don't even remember how many times, because I love these books to pieces!!!
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
August 10, 2011
Plain, non-aristo Cassidy was given one year to restore Dena Nehele, a Territory that had been ruled by twisted Queens for centuries. Their reign of terror is finally at an end, but the scars remain, on the land and on the people. In The Shadow Queen, she created a Court to help her rule and began the hard road to recovering Dena Nehele.
Just as her Court is settling down to work at demonstrating that they intend to restore honor and fair dealing to the Territory, Cassidy's old nemesis returns. Kermilla is pretty, aristocratic, and wields more powerful magic than Cassidy. Years before, she stole Cassidy's old Court and Territory from her. Now, she seems poised to do so again. And the visions of the Black Widows say that if Kermilla takes power, Dena Nehele will be plunged into war once more.
The one thing I will say for the plot is that, in the Black Jewels trilogy, every single character was The Most Powerful Magic-user Ever, to the extent that Bishop had to start inventing more words for black just to come up with ways people could have darker jewels. Cassidy and Kermilla both have Light jewels, and so instead of the usual magic ex machinas we see two women struggling for power using political intriguing, legal documents and policy decisions. And Bishop deals a little with the effects of living in a constant warzone, where one's culture is outlawed. In a ham-handed sort of way, of course, but I'm still glad she's slowly showing recognition that her main characters aren't the only ones to have suffered great and terrible traumas. (Speaking of which, less rape in this book! In point of fact, very little talk of sexual violence at all, and no child rape! I think this is the least in a single book she's ever managed. Well done, Bishop!)
This is not a good book. The dialog is stilted and unnatural, the Sceltie (magical talking dogs, oh yes you heard me right) are deeply annoying, the characters are each and every one of them idiots, and unlike the Black Jewels trilogy, there's no undercurrent of darkness and passion. And yet, I tore through this book in a single afternoon, forgoing all other books I got out of the library.
Just as her Court is settling down to work at demonstrating that they intend to restore honor and fair dealing to the Territory, Cassidy's old nemesis returns. Kermilla is pretty, aristocratic, and wields more powerful magic than Cassidy. Years before, she stole Cassidy's old Court and Territory from her. Now, she seems poised to do so again. And the visions of the Black Widows say that if Kermilla takes power, Dena Nehele will be plunged into war once more.
The one thing I will say for the plot is that, in the Black Jewels trilogy, every single character was The Most Powerful Magic-user Ever, to the extent that Bishop had to start inventing more words for black just to come up with ways people could have darker jewels. Cassidy and Kermilla both have Light jewels, and so instead of the usual magic ex machinas we see two women struggling for power using political intriguing, legal documents and policy decisions. And Bishop deals a little with the effects of living in a constant warzone, where one's culture is outlawed. In a ham-handed sort of way, of course, but I'm still glad she's slowly showing recognition that her main characters aren't the only ones to have suffered great and terrible traumas. (Speaking of which, less rape in this book! In point of fact, very little talk of sexual violence at all, and no child rape! I think this is the least in a single book she's ever managed. Well done, Bishop!)
This is not a good book. The dialog is stilted and unnatural, the Sceltie (magical talking dogs, oh yes you heard me right) are deeply annoying, the characters are each and every one of them idiots, and unlike the Black Jewels trilogy, there's no undercurrent of darkness and passion. And yet, I tore through this book in a single afternoon, forgoing all other books I got out of the library.
July 6, 2025
I re-read this book 3 times last year-I wonder if I'll read it, even more often this year?
The Witch Storm is over---I recommend you read The Shadow Queen
before you read this on. They are a duo.
One of the best books in this series. It shows us just how powerful the draw Queeens can have-even bad Queens. And this book contains a dilly of a bad Queen. This book also shows us just exactly good Queens act and we learn more about what they can do.
This book as well as The Shadow Queen also contains a hefty dose of Saetan, Daemon, and Jaenelle. It also has various doses of other characters that have been so important to this series.
The Witch Storm is over---I recommend you read The Shadow Queen
before you read this on. They are a duo.One of the best books in this series. It shows us just how powerful the draw Queeens can have-even bad Queens. And this book contains a dilly of a bad Queen. This book also shows us just exactly good Queens act and we learn more about what they can do.
This book as well as The Shadow Queen also contains a hefty dose of Saetan, Daemon, and Jaenelle. It also has various doses of other characters that have been so important to this series.
December 8, 2009
Original Speculations, October 2009:
Excerpt for this novel finally up! (link)
God, Theran is such an ass. I desperately want him to have a run-in with Surreal — ideally while she is wearing her green Jewel.
ETA March 2010:
Eeeeee. So I didn't get that Theran-encounters-Surreal scene I had been hoping so hard for, but all the Sceltie scenes almost made up for it. And what's with that brief allusion to Falonar being, um, 'has become' dead? Those little hints are beyond tantalizing, and I want some more information there. In haunting Bishop's website (now featuring a fantastic changeover in design and layout), I found indications that Bishop's next book will be another collection of Black Jewel short stories. Please please please let us have this whatever-happened-to-Falonar story told in that book. Please.
Holy hell though, if Surreal and Theran ever did meet up I would be extremely displeased if a romantic interest developed between them. Why couldn't Surreal have brought home a nice Del a Mon boy? Though I'd rather someone longer-lived for her. And I've officially now spent too much time pondering on suitable matches for a fictional character. Particularly one who is currently showing no interest in anyone. I'm stopping this now.
ETA February 2011; Now With Quotes!
This isn't much of a book review, as I'm far more considered with speculative story details than with dispassionate discussions of overall story merit. If you want the short version: I loved this book. I love this world. I love Ann Bishop. See? Very dispassionate.
If you want the long version: No only did I not get that Theran-encounters-Surreal scene I had been hoping so hard for, there's actually no indication that Surreal has ever met Theran at all. She did, however, officially visit Dena Nehele and wasted utterly no time in intimidating the men of Cassie's court:
Page 47:
Page 158:
Bishop also touched on the topic of (genetic?) disabilities within the world of Black Jewels, for the first time that I can recall in any of her books. Both developmental disabilities:
Page 259:
Page 215:
Page 34:
Page 72:
Page 75:
And that's it! I think the bare-bones of the story is that Falonar, being Lucivar's second-in-command, started having aspirations for the top spot. Daemon, being Daemon, wasn't about to tolerate that, and I suspect that Falonar's past treatment of Surreal was merely icing on the cake. Very fortunately, Bishop's website indicates that her next Black Jewel book will be another collection of short stories, and one of the stories will flesh out this tale. YES.
Quotes pulled from ISBN 0451463153.
Excerpt for this novel finally up! (link)
God, Theran is such an ass. I desperately want him to have a run-in with Surreal — ideally while she is wearing her green Jewel.
ETA March 2010:
Eeeeee. So I didn't get that Theran-encounters-Surreal scene I had been hoping so hard for, but all the Sceltie scenes almost made up for it. And what's with that brief allusion to Falonar being, um, 'has become' dead? Those little hints are beyond tantalizing, and I want some more information there. In haunting Bishop's website (now featuring a fantastic changeover in design and layout), I found indications that Bishop's next book will be another collection of Black Jewel short stories. Please please please let us have this whatever-happened-to-Falonar story told in that book. Please.
Holy hell though, if Surreal and Theran ever did meet up I would be extremely displeased if a romantic interest developed between them. Why couldn't Surreal have brought home a nice Del a Mon boy? Though I'd rather someone longer-lived for her. And I've officially now spent too much time pondering on suitable matches for a fictional character. Particularly one who is currently showing no interest in anyone. I'm stopping this now.
ETA February 2011; Now With Quotes!
This isn't much of a book review, as I'm far more considered with speculative story details than with dispassionate discussions of overall story merit. If you want the short version: I loved this book. I love this world. I love Ann Bishop. See? Very dispassionate.
If you want the long version: No only did I not get that Theran-encounters-Surreal scene I had been hoping so hard for, there's actually no indication that Surreal has ever met Theran at all. She did, however, officially visit Dena Nehele and wasted utterly no time in intimidating the men of Cassie's court:
Page 47:
And even though the boarding-house's grounds gave him plenty of room to maneuver, [Ranon] didn't want to be caught alone with the witch who brought Cassidy's family to Eyota. The Gray-Jeweled Queen was intimidating enough, but she had stayed inside with Cassidy. Surreal SaDiablo was a long step past scary as far as he and all the other men were concerned, and she had been prowling the house and ground—and the village.But really, the inclusion of all the Sceltie scenes almost made up for that lack of character conflict:
Page 158:
*My human doesn't want me!*Poor Khollie.
Bishop also touched on the topic of (genetic?) disabilities within the world of Black Jewels, for the first time that I can recall in any of her books. Both developmental disabilities:
Page 259:
Ranon's face heated as the other men watched with amusement. He hated himself for feeling the tiniest bit of shame, but that didn't change the truth. Khollie was different. There was a sweetness to him that wasn't about his being younger than the other Scelties, or just a trait of personality. He'd seen children who had a similar kind of sweetness. They weren't the same as other children. Weren't quite right.As well as physical:
Not that Khollie wasn't a bright boy. He was. He needed things explained carefully, but only one time. And he did wear a Tiger Eye Jewel.
Page 215:
"There was nothing you could have done before—or could have done now—to change this," Jaenelle said gently. "The babe didn't form right. It couldn't survive, so Marian's body released it. A simple and natural thing, despite how much the heart hurts because of it."I find this fascinating. I also find fascinating that the scenes of Marian's miscarriage of her and Lucivar's second child included the tiny information detail that Nurian, the young Eyrien Healer who had been mentioned in a previous book as a love interest of Falonar, is still around and living with her sister, Jillian. And Falonar is strongly hinted has having become dead, by the way, although this topic is touched on only thrice in just two scenes in the whole book:
Page 34:
"Not all Eyriens view honor as something they can bend to suit them themselves," Lucivar said [to Daemon] cautiously.
Falonar. The name of Lucivar's former second-in-command wasn't spoken, but it hung in the air between them.
Page 72:
"I'm going to be your second-in-command." Something fierce and feral flashed in those green-gold eyes. "A second-in-command you can trust to guard your back."
[Surreal and Daemon] didn't speak the name. They didn't need too.
Page 75:
"One question. Does Lucivar have to worry about Falonar coming up behind him in any way?"
Ice ran through his blood, and he knew his gold eyes had turned glazed and sleepy. No one else had dared ask that question. Not even Lucivar. A few weeks ago, before she had spent time with the Dea al Mon, Surreal wouldn't have dared ask that question either.
He smiled at here—a cold, brutally gentle smile—and the Sadist said too softly, "No one has to worry about Falonar anymore."
And that's it! I think the bare-bones of the story is that Falonar, being Lucivar's second-in-command, started having aspirations for the top spot. Daemon, being Daemon, wasn't about to tolerate that, and I suspect that Falonar's past treatment of Surreal was merely icing on the cake. Very fortunately, Bishop's website indicates that her next Black Jewel book will be another collection of short stories, and one of the stories will flesh out this tale. YES.
Quotes pulled from ISBN 0451463153.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2019
Cassidy has worked hard to be accepted by the court in Dena Nehele and she has won over everyone apart from her first escort Theran. Unlike the others Theran is unable to see past the image of a queen he dreamed up before he even met Cassidy, he wanted someone more powerful and more beautiful than her, and because of that he is completely blind to all the good that Cassidy has done for him and his people since she arrived. Then the arrival of Cassidy's nemesis Kermilla threatens to destroy everything that Cassidy has started to build. Theran is immediately drawn to the younger, prettier queen not realising that she is just as poisonous as the corrupt queens that Dorothea forced them to serve in the past. Kermilla's arrival threatens to destroy Dena Nehele completely but will Theran be too blind to see the truth in time to save his people?
I loved the first book in this duology, Cassidy is a brilliant character and I really enjoyed seeing her settle into her new home and how hard she worked to show her court how life could be with a proper queen, one who wouldn't use and abuse them for her own pleasure. She actually cares about her people, not just those of the Blood but also the humans who live in their town and she wants to make life better for everyone. I also really loved Gray and was thrilled to see him growing into the man he always should have been in this book. After Kermilla's arrival most of Cassidy's court are extremely protective of her but Theran is so stubborn and stupid that I found him extremely frustrating to read about. If there was ever a character I wanted to shake some sense into it's Theran and I was disappointed that he took so long to realise his mistakes.
I hate to say it but Theran came close to ruining this book for me, if it hadn't been for the rest of the court moving away from him so that he didn't have such a huge page presence in the second half of the book I'd have struggled to keep reading. Cassidy and the others saved it though and I also loved the glimpses we get of old favourites like Jaenelle, Daemon, Lucivar and Saetan - I can NEVER get enough of those four! I was really pleased with how Cassidy and Gray's story ended so this book was definitely worth reading but it wasn't my favourite in the Black Jewels series.
I loved the first book in this duology, Cassidy is a brilliant character and I really enjoyed seeing her settle into her new home and how hard she worked to show her court how life could be with a proper queen, one who wouldn't use and abuse them for her own pleasure. She actually cares about her people, not just those of the Blood but also the humans who live in their town and she wants to make life better for everyone. I also really loved Gray and was thrilled to see him growing into the man he always should have been in this book. After Kermilla's arrival most of Cassidy's court are extremely protective of her but Theran is so stubborn and stupid that I found him extremely frustrating to read about. If there was ever a character I wanted to shake some sense into it's Theran and I was disappointed that he took so long to realise his mistakes.
I hate to say it but Theran came close to ruining this book for me, if it hadn't been for the rest of the court moving away from him so that he didn't have such a huge page presence in the second half of the book I'd have struggled to keep reading. Cassidy and the others saved it though and I also loved the glimpses we get of old favourites like Jaenelle, Daemon, Lucivar and Saetan - I can NEVER get enough of those four! I was really pleased with how Cassidy and Gray's story ended so this book was definitely worth reading but it wasn't my favourite in the Black Jewels series.
March 10, 2010
After being disappointed with Tangled Webs, I had given up on new Black Jewels’ stories. I went back to the series because Nalini Singh raved about the latest book, Shalador’s Lady, in her blog.
So, now I’m caught up again and I’m glad. This book had an engaging story with new lead characters as well as brief updates on old friends. This formula works for me, hopefully Anne Bishop will continue the series in this manner.
So, now I’m caught up again and I’m glad. This book had an engaging story with new lead characters as well as brief updates on old friends. This formula works for me, hopefully Anne Bishop will continue the series in this manner.
September 18, 2023
2011: 3 stars . 2018: 3.5 stars
2021: 3.7 stars
2023: 4 stars
“People looked beyond themselves and made room for you. Remember that, Prince.”
made me cry. still a bit mad because there was not a harsh punisment for the
This is the second part of Shadow Queen, and is less emotional. And I'm glad that Cassidy cand get a spine.
Love Jared Blaede.
2021: 3.7 stars
2023: 4 stars
“People looked beyond themselves and made room for you. Remember that, Prince.”
made me cry. still a bit mad because there was not a harsh punisment for the
This is the second part of Shadow Queen, and is less emotional. And I'm glad that Cassidy cand get a spine.
Love Jared Blaede.
September 19, 2016
"A Senhora de Shalador" foi um daqueles livros que soube que tinha de ter na estante, não só porque adorei o volume anterior, "Aliança das Trevas", e queria ler a continuação, como por ter esta capa lindíssima que sempre me encheu o olho.
Foi com grande entusiasmo que iniciei a sua leitura, mas infelizmente, rapidamente me senti totalmente decepcionada com a história. Demasiados momentos entediantes em que parecia que a história em nada avançava fizeram-me desgostar deste livro quase no seu total, salvando-se a parte final. Esperava tão mais...
Foi com grande entusiasmo que iniciei a sua leitura, mas infelizmente, rapidamente me senti totalmente decepcionada com a história. Demasiados momentos entediantes em que parecia que a história em nada avançava fizeram-me desgostar deste livro quase no seu total, salvando-se a parte final. Esperava tão mais...
January 16, 2020
As good on a re-read, in some ways even better.
This is very much a continuation book from one I had previously read: In The Shadow Queen we followed Lady Cassidy's journey to Dene Nehele in Terrille to become the Queen for a nation desperately trying to restore the old ways. I always loved that book, but when I heard that there was a continuation, I was ambivalent. I do not always love Anne Bishop 's writing, so I was not 'omg I have to read it!' and I felt like The Shadow Queen was the perfect example of a complete story, so I saw no reason why it had to go on.
However, having seen it on the shelf in a store when I was just in the right frame of mind for this authors style of writing, it came home with me and I really, really enjoyed it.
This review is really quite irrelevant to anyone who has not read a lot of Anne Bishop already, you can't come in to a later book successfully. While it is all spoilers from here on, first I want to say to anyone, who like myself, was hanging back uncertain about whether they needed to read this book; to you I say, yes, you almost certainly do. Lady Cassidy's journey in this book is exciting and satisfying. The reader gets closure on some things, vindication of the people they like and the downfall of bad guys. It is wish fulfillment, to be sure, but it is wish fulfillment of the most enjoyable type. Also, it is well written! At worst, some of this authors work can be sloppy, overly sentimental and self indulgent. This book is nicely written, well thought out and has few of the flaws that CAN at times creep into this very experienced authors work.
Now, on to the
My goodness that is a lot of whinging from me, isn't it? Especially for a book I gave four stars to? Well, I whinge therefore I am, I guess. If I had not enjoyed this book as much as I did, I probably would have just shrugged annoyances off without giving them any extra time. This book though, I really loved, it is going straight on the 'favorites bookshelf'in my library, I anticipate reading again, often, for the many things I loved about it. Those things I loved, far outweighing the things I didn't.
Besides, last time I whinged about the "...passionately violent, violently passionate..' cliche, it was gone in the next book I read. Now, if for the next one we can just get rid of the Deus Ex Machine, and cull those pesky Scelties....
This is very much a continuation book from one I had previously read: In The Shadow Queen we followed Lady Cassidy's journey to Dene Nehele in Terrille to become the Queen for a nation desperately trying to restore the old ways. I always loved that book, but when I heard that there was a continuation, I was ambivalent. I do not always love Anne Bishop 's writing, so I was not 'omg I have to read it!' and I felt like The Shadow Queen was the perfect example of a complete story, so I saw no reason why it had to go on.
However, having seen it on the shelf in a store when I was just in the right frame of mind for this authors style of writing, it came home with me and I really, really enjoyed it.
This review is really quite irrelevant to anyone who has not read a lot of Anne Bishop already, you can't come in to a later book successfully. While it is all spoilers from here on, first I want to say to anyone, who like myself, was hanging back uncertain about whether they needed to read this book; to you I say, yes, you almost certainly do. Lady Cassidy's journey in this book is exciting and satisfying. The reader gets closure on some things, vindication of the people they like and the downfall of bad guys. It is wish fulfillment, to be sure, but it is wish fulfillment of the most enjoyable type. Also, it is well written! At worst, some of this authors work can be sloppy, overly sentimental and self indulgent. This book is nicely written, well thought out and has few of the flaws that CAN at times creep into this very experienced authors work.
Now, on to the
My goodness that is a lot of whinging from me, isn't it? Especially for a book I gave four stars to? Well, I whinge therefore I am, I guess. If I had not enjoyed this book as much as I did, I probably would have just shrugged annoyances off without giving them any extra time. This book though, I really loved, it is going straight on the 'favorites bookshelf'in my library, I anticipate reading again, often, for the many things I loved about it. Those things I loved, far outweighing the things I didn't.
Besides, last time I whinged about the "...passionately violent, violently passionate..' cliche, it was gone in the next book I read. Now, if for the next one we can just get rid of the Deus Ex Machine, and cull those pesky Scelties....
September 28, 2017
I'm such a massive sucker for Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series. She has yet to produce one that doesn't make me want to devour it all in one sitting, and it always takes a lot of effort for me to force myself to spend a few days enjoying the newness of the most recent addition to the series. This follow-up story about Cassidy's Court in Dena Nehele is no exception, and I was extra-intrigued with the addition of her old rival from her very first Court, Kermilla.
This isn't full of quite as much dark and brooding as the Black Jewels is usually wrought with, and is more a lighthearted political drama about Cassidy's efforts to further heal the old wounds of Dena Nehele. There's very little of the normal brutal violence, and it is a bit heavy on the fluff this time around, but it was a very satisfying follow up to last year's The Shadow Queen. I felt the plot was well-done and compelling, and never once found myself getting bored with it.
The character development for the three central characters (Gray, Theran and Cassie) was solid and believable. While the old favorites of Jaenelle and company did show up to lend help to the Court again, it felt a little less like they were overpowering the story as it did in the previous novel. Rather than having major subplots involving Jaenelle's Court, there was a minor subplot but overall the characters only appeared in the narrative when it made sense for the central story. I'm not sure if it's just because Cassie and the members of her Court are much more fleshed-out and memorable in my mind this time around or if Bishop was more careful with this follow-up, but either way I found things much more satisfying on this front.
Definitely one to pick up for Anne Bishop fans! I'm really hoping the short story collection slated for next year will include a story involving the characters from Cassie's duology.
This isn't full of quite as much dark and brooding as the Black Jewels is usually wrought with, and is more a lighthearted political drama about Cassidy's efforts to further heal the old wounds of Dena Nehele. There's very little of the normal brutal violence, and it is a bit heavy on the fluff this time around, but it was a very satisfying follow up to last year's The Shadow Queen. I felt the plot was well-done and compelling, and never once found myself getting bored with it.
The character development for the three central characters (Gray, Theran and Cassie) was solid and believable. While the old favorites of Jaenelle and company did show up to lend help to the Court again, it felt a little less like they were overpowering the story as it did in the previous novel. Rather than having major subplots involving Jaenelle's Court, there was a minor subplot but overall the characters only appeared in the narrative when it made sense for the central story. I'm not sure if it's just because Cassie and the members of her Court are much more fleshed-out and memorable in my mind this time around or if Bishop was more careful with this follow-up, but either way I found things much more satisfying on this front.
Definitely one to pick up for Anne Bishop fans! I'm really hoping the short story collection slated for next year will include a story involving the characters from Cassie's duology.
January 13, 2019
Lady Cassidy is trying to be a good Queen for Dena Nahele except Theran Greyhaven is undermining her at every step. He isn't shy about his disappointment that she isn't prettier and more powerful. Fortunately the rest of her dozen sworn Warlords and Warlord Princes are much happier with her. So are the landen and the other people she rules over in Greyhaven.
She takes a trip to the Shalador Reserve in Eyota to meet more of the Shaladoran Queens and discovers a land parched and almost barren. She knows how to transfer her power to enrich the land but she has never dealt with a land so empty. She almost drains all of her power and shatters her jewels before her Court realizes what's happening and takes her away.
After she recovers, she returns to Greyhaven to find the she has a visitor. Lady Kermilla, the Queen who took her Court away from her and ruined her confidence, has come for a visit (and to demand that Cassidy give her money to run her Court). Cassidy tells her to leave but Theran takes one look at her and realizes that Kermilla is the Queen he has been waiting for to cure Dena Nehele. Cassidy is ready to give up and leave until her loyal Court convinces her to return to Eyota and take her Court - minus Theran, there.
The story splits viewpoints. We see Cassidy and her Court in Eyota, Theran dealing with Kermilla and Dena Nehele, and Kermilla who is self-absorbed, selfish, hedonistic, and has a major sense of entitlement. It was painful watching Theran making excuses for her and dealing with her very expensive tastes. The contrast with Cassidy and her behavior couldn't have been clearer.
This story also saw Gray finally maturing after the trauma he suffered at age fifteen. He picks wonderful role models and teachers in Saetan, Daemon, and Lucivar. I loved the scelties who came to Cassidy's Court to help and teach and herd their human sheep.
This was a very entertaining entry into the Black Jewels series.
She takes a trip to the Shalador Reserve in Eyota to meet more of the Shaladoran Queens and discovers a land parched and almost barren. She knows how to transfer her power to enrich the land but she has never dealt with a land so empty. She almost drains all of her power and shatters her jewels before her Court realizes what's happening and takes her away.
After she recovers, she returns to Greyhaven to find the she has a visitor. Lady Kermilla, the Queen who took her Court away from her and ruined her confidence, has come for a visit (and to demand that Cassidy give her money to run her Court). Cassidy tells her to leave but Theran takes one look at her and realizes that Kermilla is the Queen he has been waiting for to cure Dena Nehele. Cassidy is ready to give up and leave until her loyal Court convinces her to return to Eyota and take her Court - minus Theran, there.
The story splits viewpoints. We see Cassidy and her Court in Eyota, Theran dealing with Kermilla and Dena Nehele, and Kermilla who is self-absorbed, selfish, hedonistic, and has a major sense of entitlement. It was painful watching Theran making excuses for her and dealing with her very expensive tastes. The contrast with Cassidy and her behavior couldn't have been clearer.
This story also saw Gray finally maturing after the trauma he suffered at age fifteen. He picks wonderful role models and teachers in Saetan, Daemon, and Lucivar. I loved the scelties who came to Cassidy's Court to help and teach and herd their human sheep.
This was a very entertaining entry into the Black Jewels series.
November 20, 2017
Great story! Happy ending for Cassidy and Gray.
March 17, 2011
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/03/rev...
Favorite Quote: “It is better to break you own heart then to break your honor.”
Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop is the 8th book in her Black Jewels series. It is also the sequel to her 7th book, The Shadow Queen. I adore the Black Jewels series. A deliciously dark and traumatic series that celebrates the triumph of evil. Unequivocal world building sustained by dramatic and inspiring characters has gained this series it’s own keeper shelf. I would not recommend reading these out of order. The arc carries over and feeds itself through each book.
In Shalador’s Lady we see Lady Cassidy growing into herself and slowing bringing life back to a land and the people of Dena Nehale; destroyed by the previous Queens. When an enemy from Cassie’s past returns to try and once again to stake a claim on Cassie’s court, Cassie will have to fight for the land, the people, and her love to survive.
Shalador’s Lady is relatively light in comparison to previous books in the series. However the lush world building and dialogue is still as intense and soul grabbing. Ms. Bishop’s smooth lyrical prose saturates you while the fast pacing of the story line has you completely vested in the outcome.
Lady Cassie is forging the bonds between herself and her First Court. Though the Warlord Princes are understandably tense and unsure, Lady Cassie slowly wins them over with her courage and determination to be the best Queen for them. Lord Theron Grayhaven, her First Escort, still harbors resentment towards Lady Cassie as she is not the queen he envisioned for his people. This creates a palpable tension between them. One that Lady Cassie cannot mend. When Queen Kermilla arrives in “friendship” Lady Cassie’s already shaky self confidence takes a beating when Lord Theron accepts Lady Kermilla and makes noise that she is what he deems the true Queen of Dena Nehele. As Lady Cassie begins to relive the previous betrayal caused by Lady Kermilla and her court rallies around her and new interesting “friends” appear to help Lady Cassie become the Queen she was meant to be.
I adore the new characters we have been introduced to. As three dimensional and endearing as our old friends, they provide us with new situations, outcomes, and emotional bonding. Cassie is a wonderful heroine in that Bishop doesn’t make her the perfect Queen. She truly loves the people and her court but she has issues. Cassie evolves slowly but strong as she deals with the changes occurring in her court. Gray, Jared Blaed, make great strides in over coming his past and becoming the man he should have been before he was broken by the diabolical queens of the past.
I can’t say enough about the Scelties. Called kindred, they are animals who are endowed with magic and hold rank as the humans. They provide much laughter and healing in this story. We see a lot of Jaenelle, Daemon, and the rest of the former high court of Ebon Askavi. They provide much needed support, advice and behind the scenes help.
Theran was hard for me. While I wanted to kick him in the arse quite a few times, I also felt sorry for him. You have to feel a bond with your Queen. A bond that allows you to love and want to serve them. He never had that bond with Cassie and when Kermilla appears, he honestly does what he feels is right.
The ending isn’t dramatic in a sense of climatic action, but more so from an emotional stand point. Everyone has to face their own fears and choose to live or lie down. Its a sweet ending that fit Cassie’s character to a tee. All in all a wonderful and fitting addition to the Black Jewels world and I look forward to the 9th book in this series, Twilight's Dawn.
Rating: A
Favorite Quote: “It is better to break you own heart then to break your honor.”
Shalador's Lady by Anne Bishop is the 8th book in her Black Jewels series. It is also the sequel to her 7th book, The Shadow Queen. I adore the Black Jewels series. A deliciously dark and traumatic series that celebrates the triumph of evil. Unequivocal world building sustained by dramatic and inspiring characters has gained this series it’s own keeper shelf. I would not recommend reading these out of order. The arc carries over and feeds itself through each book.
In Shalador’s Lady we see Lady Cassidy growing into herself and slowing bringing life back to a land and the people of Dena Nehale; destroyed by the previous Queens. When an enemy from Cassie’s past returns to try and once again to stake a claim on Cassie’s court, Cassie will have to fight for the land, the people, and her love to survive.
Shalador’s Lady is relatively light in comparison to previous books in the series. However the lush world building and dialogue is still as intense and soul grabbing. Ms. Bishop’s smooth lyrical prose saturates you while the fast pacing of the story line has you completely vested in the outcome.
Lady Cassie is forging the bonds between herself and her First Court. Though the Warlord Princes are understandably tense and unsure, Lady Cassie slowly wins them over with her courage and determination to be the best Queen for them. Lord Theron Grayhaven, her First Escort, still harbors resentment towards Lady Cassie as she is not the queen he envisioned for his people. This creates a palpable tension between them. One that Lady Cassie cannot mend. When Queen Kermilla arrives in “friendship” Lady Cassie’s already shaky self confidence takes a beating when Lord Theron accepts Lady Kermilla and makes noise that she is what he deems the true Queen of Dena Nehele. As Lady Cassie begins to relive the previous betrayal caused by Lady Kermilla and her court rallies around her and new interesting “friends” appear to help Lady Cassie become the Queen she was meant to be.
I adore the new characters we have been introduced to. As three dimensional and endearing as our old friends, they provide us with new situations, outcomes, and emotional bonding. Cassie is a wonderful heroine in that Bishop doesn’t make her the perfect Queen. She truly loves the people and her court but she has issues. Cassie evolves slowly but strong as she deals with the changes occurring in her court. Gray, Jared Blaed, make great strides in over coming his past and becoming the man he should have been before he was broken by the diabolical queens of the past.
I can’t say enough about the Scelties. Called kindred, they are animals who are endowed with magic and hold rank as the humans. They provide much laughter and healing in this story. We see a lot of Jaenelle, Daemon, and the rest of the former high court of Ebon Askavi. They provide much needed support, advice and behind the scenes help.
Theran was hard for me. While I wanted to kick him in the arse quite a few times, I also felt sorry for him. You have to feel a bond with your Queen. A bond that allows you to love and want to serve them. He never had that bond with Cassie and when Kermilla appears, he honestly does what he feels is right.
The ending isn’t dramatic in a sense of climatic action, but more so from an emotional stand point. Everyone has to face their own fears and choose to live or lie down. Its a sweet ending that fit Cassie’s character to a tee. All in all a wonderful and fitting addition to the Black Jewels world and I look forward to the 9th book in this series, Twilight's Dawn.
Rating: A
August 1, 2011
Over ten years ago Anne Bishop's first entry in the Black Jewels trilogy was released and many readers were captivated by her rich fantasy that cast Saetan, the High Lord of Hell, as a heroic character. But time has mellowed Bishop's characters and Shalador's Lady, the eighth book in Bishop's Black Jewels series, reads more like a Harlequin Romance than a dark fantasy.
The Black Jewels series is based on a unique mythology that uses familiar names from The Bible-- though they are given their own twist for this particular fantasy. The original series followed the story of Saetan, his sons Daemon and Lucivar, and Jaenelle-- the most powerful Queen to ever live-- also known as Witch. The society is caste based and much of the hierarchy is drawn from the jewels each witch or warlord wears in addition to their birth rank. The original trilogy was a dark, Gothic fantasy that could be both violent and romantic. But once the story reached its climax, it also lost most of its tension.
"Shalador's Lady," the eighth book in the series, is the second book the follow the story of Lady Cassidy; a light jeweled Queen who has been chosen to rule the land of Dena Nehele. Cassidy has never been a powerful Queen and suffered the abandonment of her first court due to the machinations of a younger, darker jeweled Queen. And though she has settled into a new life in Dena Nehele, she doesn't have the full support of Theran Greyhaven, the heir to the territory she currently rules. And when a former rival shows up unexpectedly, Cassidy is sure she will be abandoned by her court once again.
There isn't a lot of real excitement or drama to "Shalador's Lady." It's a sweet book with likable characters, but it's like a "light" version of the original series. Many of the same characters are brought back, including Saetan, Daemon and Jaenelle, but you get the feeling that they're really there for nostalgia's sake. In fact, the whole book seems to have been written for the fans, and perhaps the author, who are loathe to leave the world Bishop created. Most of the book is taken up with a series of minor misunderstandings and manufactured drama just so we can see Cassidy finally have her happy ending. It's fun to revisit old characters, but I miss the bite of the earlier books.
The Black Jewels series is based on a unique mythology that uses familiar names from The Bible-- though they are given their own twist for this particular fantasy. The original series followed the story of Saetan, his sons Daemon and Lucivar, and Jaenelle-- the most powerful Queen to ever live-- also known as Witch. The society is caste based and much of the hierarchy is drawn from the jewels each witch or warlord wears in addition to their birth rank. The original trilogy was a dark, Gothic fantasy that could be both violent and romantic. But once the story reached its climax, it also lost most of its tension.
"Shalador's Lady," the eighth book in the series, is the second book the follow the story of Lady Cassidy; a light jeweled Queen who has been chosen to rule the land of Dena Nehele. Cassidy has never been a powerful Queen and suffered the abandonment of her first court due to the machinations of a younger, darker jeweled Queen. And though she has settled into a new life in Dena Nehele, she doesn't have the full support of Theran Greyhaven, the heir to the territory she currently rules. And when a former rival shows up unexpectedly, Cassidy is sure she will be abandoned by her court once again.
There isn't a lot of real excitement or drama to "Shalador's Lady." It's a sweet book with likable characters, but it's like a "light" version of the original series. Many of the same characters are brought back, including Saetan, Daemon and Jaenelle, but you get the feeling that they're really there for nostalgia's sake. In fact, the whole book seems to have been written for the fans, and perhaps the author, who are loathe to leave the world Bishop created. Most of the book is taken up with a series of minor misunderstandings and manufactured drama just so we can see Cassidy finally have her happy ending. It's fun to revisit old characters, but I miss the bite of the earlier books.
January 12, 2011
I really don't want to bash this book because I really do love Anne Bishop's writing. Some things in this plot didn't work well for me, but I still enjoyed the novel nonetheless. The story is mostly comprised of Cassidy running the country, setting up shops, growing plants, and maintaining her court. Bishop does a great job of making the mundane details of everyday life seem interesting, and having them told by compelling characters doesn't hurt. Unfortunately, the novel is largely details, and there isn't a strong plot. The jacket mentions tangled webs that predict doom and gloom for Cassidy's realm, but the novel really didn't have the dark feel I was looking forward to. Well, at least there is a villain, and boy is she unlikeable: spoiled, bratty, foot stomping Kermilla. That brings me to the characters. Unlike many readers, I do not enjoy the little snippets of wedded bliss and bantering from Janelle and Daemon. I would have rather read a complete story without them included. I feel that it takes away from the flow of the compelling story centered around Cassidy. I understand that many cherish the appearances from their beloved characters, but for me it only hurts the book. Cassidy's court remains the same, though Gray changes as is to be expected. The deepest character seems to be Theran, which is a bit of a surprise. Cassidy is weak, and is bothered by her past a little too much. On one hand it is expected, but for the strong queen she is supposed to be, she seems very weak. I almost have to agree with Theran who believes that any queen could have done what Cassidy has done for the land. Of course, there are some other interesting characters, the scelties. They provide humor as usual, but they started to grate on my nerves the more they appeared. Now there aren't one or two, there are 13. Shudder. I have to admit they put some people in line, and they did make me chuckle, so I can't complain about them too much. Overall, Shalador's Lady is a light novel. It's mostly dialogue and everyday events that come up when running a territory. Anne Bishop's writing is as interesting as ever, but it's not enough for me. The novel is enjoyable, but it's not amazing. It's too insubstantial to warrant more than a three from me unfortunately.
March 8, 2010
"Shalador's Lady" is Anne Bishop's 8th book in her Black Jewels series, is actually the direct sequel to her 7th book, "The Shadow Queen." Cassidy has done quite well for herself, despite all the setbacks and challenges from "The Shadow Queen." In this new book, however, she comes face-to-face with her past and her greatest failure, losing her court and lands to a younger, prettier (and spoiled) Queen, Lady Kermilla.
Out of all Bishop's books, this is the 'lightest' one. In general, her books are dark fantasy with hope sprinkled throughout, but this book was sweet all the way through. I never truly believed the Territory Cassidy ruled would fail, not in the way the Black Widows feared it would, simply because Lady Kermilla had no real chance. She's a spoiled brat. All the Warlords who needed to fill her court knew that. Nonetheless, it was great seeing the transformation in Cassie to stand up and fight for the love and people she loves.
Even with a quieter plot, I still enjoyed every minute. Fans of the series meet up with their favorite characters, including several tender moments between Janelle and Daemon. The bulk of the story, however, focuses on the characters in Dena Nehele: Cassidy, Gray, Ranon, and Theran.
This book is another great addition to the Black Jewel series. It's the perfect book to read when you want to relax, pick up your feet, and enjoy some of your favorite fantasy characters.
Out of all Bishop's books, this is the 'lightest' one. In general, her books are dark fantasy with hope sprinkled throughout, but this book was sweet all the way through. I never truly believed the Territory Cassidy ruled would fail, not in the way the Black Widows feared it would, simply because Lady Kermilla had no real chance. She's a spoiled brat. All the Warlords who needed to fill her court knew that. Nonetheless, it was great seeing the transformation in Cassie to stand up and fight for the love and people she loves.
Even with a quieter plot, I still enjoyed every minute. Fans of the series meet up with their favorite characters, including several tender moments between Janelle and Daemon. The bulk of the story, however, focuses on the characters in Dena Nehele: Cassidy, Gray, Ranon, and Theran.
This book is another great addition to the Black Jewel series. It's the perfect book to read when you want to relax, pick up your feet, and enjoy some of your favorite fantasy characters.
April 20, 2012
Sequel to The Shadow Queen, Shalador's Lady follows the lives of the males loyal to the rose-jewelled Queen Cassidy (and some of those plotting against her). If you have never read Anne Bishop before, this is not the best place to start as it definitely assumes a familiarity with her world and the events of previous books. If you are interested in a dark magic / romance type story, definitely check out the original Black Jewels trilogy.
I am glad Anne Bishop wrote this sequel to The Shadow Queen, because while the Shadow Queen had a great plot and definite ending, there was room to tell Gray's story. That is exactly what Shalador's Lady is about, Gray growing into the sort of man who is worthy of Cassidy. At the same time, we get to see Cassidy get over her insecurities and make a real difference for Dena Nehele. As expected in an Anne Bishop novel, there is plenty of fun melodrama and a warm fuzzy safety that comes with knowing the main characters were never really in any great danger.
I find reading Anne Bishop similar to Traci Harding, comforting and easy. There are plenty protective and completely reliable males crowded around the lucky female without impinging on her one actual romantic interest (isn't that every woman's dream). Add to that a decent helping of erotic suggestion without getting boring or explicit and you have a Black Jewels novel, not exactly Pulitzer Prize winning, but certainly readable.
I am glad Anne Bishop wrote this sequel to The Shadow Queen, because while the Shadow Queen had a great plot and definite ending, there was room to tell Gray's story. That is exactly what Shalador's Lady is about, Gray growing into the sort of man who is worthy of Cassidy. At the same time, we get to see Cassidy get over her insecurities and make a real difference for Dena Nehele. As expected in an Anne Bishop novel, there is plenty of fun melodrama and a warm fuzzy safety that comes with knowing the main characters were never really in any great danger.
I find reading Anne Bishop similar to Traci Harding, comforting and easy. There are plenty protective and completely reliable males crowded around the lucky female without impinging on her one actual romantic interest (isn't that every woman's dream). Add to that a decent helping of erotic suggestion without getting boring or explicit and you have a Black Jewels novel, not exactly Pulitzer Prize winning, but certainly readable.
November 30, 2020
Sequel to The Shadow Queen, Shalador’s Lady sounds very much like it ought to be a romance novel, like “Shalador” is some noble knight trying to woo a beautiful woman. Rather, Shalador is a significant section of the Territory of Dena Nehele, the Territory that Cassidy is ruling over for a trial period of 1 year, trying to bring the land back from the brink of destruction after so much tragedy and bloodshed. The Shalador reserves have borne more than their fair share of the troubles, and Cassidy has it in her mind to set that to rights.
Which isn’t helped at all by Theran’s continued insistence on getting in Cassidy’s way and preventing her from doing the very thing he wanted a Queen to do in the first place.
Cassidy’s road is hard enough, but then comes Kermilla, a very pretty young Queen who essentially stole Cassidy’s previous court and caused a lot of trauma and self-doubt in Cassidy. Theran takes a shine to Kermilla, wanting her to be Queen of Dena Nehele once Cassidy’s contract expires, though he is pretty much the only person who likes this idea. Everyone else, including the other members of Cassidy’s court, are against it, seeing it as the final act that would shatter the possibility of everything they hope to build for their land and people.
Much like in The Shadow Queen, Shalador’s Lady deals heavily with the subject of trauma. Cassidy’s previous experience with Kermilla and members of her old court were seriously demoralizing, and that’s putting it mildly. Cassidy has panic attacks about Kermilla’s presence, and when Theran declares his support for her, Cassidy becomes quickly convinced that her new court will leave her the same way her old court did, proving once again to her that she’s substandard and weak and unworthy. She knows that Kermilla isn’t the sort of Queen who can do what Dena Nehele needs, but her opinion won’t count for much if she’s abandoned once again. Her contract may only be for a single year, but if she’s wanted, if people accept her, she can stay and continue to rule… if she can hold onto her court and prevent them from siding with Kermilla instead.
Kermilla is one of those characters you either love to hate, or just simply hate. She’s not cruel, not the sort of person to delight in hurting others, but she doesn’t think twice about the consequences of getting what she wants, and is very certain that she deserves whatever she wants, and that combination results in her hurting others regardless of how little joy she takes in it. She’s selfish, inconsiderate, and very sure that being unattractive makes a person unsuitable to rule. Given that Cassidy isn’t exactly a classic beauty, this attitude is what caused so many problems and is at the root of much of Cassidy’s traumas.
(Which makes it extra cringey that the cover art for these novels, however beautiful, portrays Cassidy as she isn’t. Her appearance is a huge sore spot for her, and her previous court’s desire for somebody beautiful rather than somebody competent caused pain and problems. Having her appear as the exact sort of person she’s convinced could keep a court together on looks alone does a disservice to her as a character, and downplays the degree of trauma she experienced because she’s not someone who can just step into a room and dazzle all assembled.)
One of the things I adore about this book in particular is the demonstration of just how much simple kindness can mean to someone who has seen so little of it in their lives. That sounds terribly obvious, but sometimes in life we take for granted that someone just is the way others want it to be, even when that isn’t the case. Cassidy declares the music of Shalador’s people can be openly played in public, and that sounds like a simple enough thing to give permission for, but for a people who have had their culture crushed and killed over the generations, what seems like an inconsequential kindness to Cassidy has huge ramifications for the people who no longer need to guard their secrets so closely anymore, no longer need to live in fear of telling the wrong stories or singing the wrong songs.
This duology is such a comfort read for me, and I often turn to it when I’m going through a difficult time. Not just because Bishop’s writing flows so smoothly, not just because the world is so fascinating to me, but because Cassidy’s story is one of rising above the past, of overcoming traumas with the aid of loyal friends, and of the amount of change that can be found at the hands of even the least powerful when they’re willing to work hard and work together. As I mentioned in my review of The Shadow Queen, it’s really interesting to take a break from the ridiculously powerful characters and focus in on someone who’s a bit more representative of the degree of power your average Blood would have, to have a story that isn’t written about the strongest most badass in all the land but instead someone who achieves much by using what they have effectively. Maybe it’s just me, but I find that sort of story both comforting and hopeful, because it reminds me that I can do something similar. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t rule a country, but I can use what I have to affect positive change, and being reminded of that can be good when times get hard.
Fans of very dark fantasy might not find the same enjoyment in this duology as they did in the core Black Jewels trilogy, as the Cassidy duology is far more hopeful and far less violent in many ways, but for those who have taken the series into their hearts, there’s much entertainment to be found in both of these novels. Those who pick these books up first might actually be quite shocked by what they find in the series’ previous novels. The world is very much the same, still the same Realms populated by the same Blood, but the tone is quite different. Not better or worse, but different enough that it’s worth mentioning. Still, I very much think these books are worth reading, and the bittersweet triumph at the end of Shalador’s Lady is worth every second you spend buried in the pages.
Which isn’t helped at all by Theran’s continued insistence on getting in Cassidy’s way and preventing her from doing the very thing he wanted a Queen to do in the first place.
Cassidy’s road is hard enough, but then comes Kermilla, a very pretty young Queen who essentially stole Cassidy’s previous court and caused a lot of trauma and self-doubt in Cassidy. Theran takes a shine to Kermilla, wanting her to be Queen of Dena Nehele once Cassidy’s contract expires, though he is pretty much the only person who likes this idea. Everyone else, including the other members of Cassidy’s court, are against it, seeing it as the final act that would shatter the possibility of everything they hope to build for their land and people.
Much like in The Shadow Queen, Shalador’s Lady deals heavily with the subject of trauma. Cassidy’s previous experience with Kermilla and members of her old court were seriously demoralizing, and that’s putting it mildly. Cassidy has panic attacks about Kermilla’s presence, and when Theran declares his support for her, Cassidy becomes quickly convinced that her new court will leave her the same way her old court did, proving once again to her that she’s substandard and weak and unworthy. She knows that Kermilla isn’t the sort of Queen who can do what Dena Nehele needs, but her opinion won’t count for much if she’s abandoned once again. Her contract may only be for a single year, but if she’s wanted, if people accept her, she can stay and continue to rule… if she can hold onto her court and prevent them from siding with Kermilla instead.
Kermilla is one of those characters you either love to hate, or just simply hate. She’s not cruel, not the sort of person to delight in hurting others, but she doesn’t think twice about the consequences of getting what she wants, and is very certain that she deserves whatever she wants, and that combination results in her hurting others regardless of how little joy she takes in it. She’s selfish, inconsiderate, and very sure that being unattractive makes a person unsuitable to rule. Given that Cassidy isn’t exactly a classic beauty, this attitude is what caused so many problems and is at the root of much of Cassidy’s traumas.
(Which makes it extra cringey that the cover art for these novels, however beautiful, portrays Cassidy as she isn’t. Her appearance is a huge sore spot for her, and her previous court’s desire for somebody beautiful rather than somebody competent caused pain and problems. Having her appear as the exact sort of person she’s convinced could keep a court together on looks alone does a disservice to her as a character, and downplays the degree of trauma she experienced because she’s not someone who can just step into a room and dazzle all assembled.)
One of the things I adore about this book in particular is the demonstration of just how much simple kindness can mean to someone who has seen so little of it in their lives. That sounds terribly obvious, but sometimes in life we take for granted that someone just is the way others want it to be, even when that isn’t the case. Cassidy declares the music of Shalador’s people can be openly played in public, and that sounds like a simple enough thing to give permission for, but for a people who have had their culture crushed and killed over the generations, what seems like an inconsequential kindness to Cassidy has huge ramifications for the people who no longer need to guard their secrets so closely anymore, no longer need to live in fear of telling the wrong stories or singing the wrong songs.
This duology is such a comfort read for me, and I often turn to it when I’m going through a difficult time. Not just because Bishop’s writing flows so smoothly, not just because the world is so fascinating to me, but because Cassidy’s story is one of rising above the past, of overcoming traumas with the aid of loyal friends, and of the amount of change that can be found at the hands of even the least powerful when they’re willing to work hard and work together. As I mentioned in my review of The Shadow Queen, it’s really interesting to take a break from the ridiculously powerful characters and focus in on someone who’s a bit more representative of the degree of power your average Blood would have, to have a story that isn’t written about the strongest most badass in all the land but instead someone who achieves much by using what they have effectively. Maybe it’s just me, but I find that sort of story both comforting and hopeful, because it reminds me that I can do something similar. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t rule a country, but I can use what I have to affect positive change, and being reminded of that can be good when times get hard.
Fans of very dark fantasy might not find the same enjoyment in this duology as they did in the core Black Jewels trilogy, as the Cassidy duology is far more hopeful and far less violent in many ways, but for those who have taken the series into their hearts, there’s much entertainment to be found in both of these novels. Those who pick these books up first might actually be quite shocked by what they find in the series’ previous novels. The world is very much the same, still the same Realms populated by the same Blood, but the tone is quite different. Not better or worse, but different enough that it’s worth mentioning. Still, I very much think these books are worth reading, and the bittersweet triumph at the end of Shalador’s Lady is worth every second you spend buried in the pages.
February 6, 2011
I love this series. This new book by Ms. Bishop was eagerly anticipated and delivered for me. I am moved because Ms. Bishop's writing voice is so clear. I feel as if I'm right there in the Realm with them. I felt so sad for Cassie. She's such an amazing person and yet she's discounted by a guy who is just an asshole. There is no other word for it. He's a disgrace. Theran is blinded by rank and power than intent. This is a problem for me. If everyone in the realm was still educated in the old ways and had a good intent, then sure, go for the power. However, that is not the case. The fact that he loved and went for a bitch who never returned his love only makes me happy. I'm glad he suffers. He made Cassie feel worthless.
I love Gray. The more and more I read about him, the more I love him. It is too bad he was damaged. Because he would be the one to lead had he not been caught. Theran would have been in his shadow and become even more bitter and f-ed up.
I love Gray. The more and more I read about him, the more I love him. It is too bad he was damaged. Because he would be the one to lead had he not been caught. Theran would have been in his shadow and become even more bitter and f-ed up.
May 16, 2010
Why do I keep reading these? In case you were wondering, the protagonist is still So Misunderstood and thinks Everyone Will Hate Her despite All Evidence to the Contrary (okay, many of us occasionally suffer from this one, so props for the relevant Mary Sue, Ann Bishop; you make me glad I don't have to try to prevent a war while dealing with these pesky self esteem issues). Gender essentialism is still rampant. Everyone is still bizarrely dense, in that they do not immediately recognize and put a stop to the antagonist's behavior. Oh, and the psychic magic dogs are still annoying. So what's the crack you can't stop reading?
Want to read
September 3, 2009Shut up!!! I can't wait until next year!! Early release! Early Release! EARLY RELEASE!!!
June 27, 2024
The Shadow Queen left me wanting more, and Shaldor's Lady delivered. The Black Jewels series is already scheduled for reading next year.
February 9, 2019
Honey Pear Trees
I loved this as usual. Anything Anne Bishop writes is pure gold. I love that Cassie was given a second chance to be a queen after her other court was stolen from her. It was hard to put up with the stupidity of Prince Greyhaven even after Cassie was able to unlock the spells that hid his family’s treasure. His oblivion towards Kermella was almost intolerable. I loved the honey pears and how they were found and am really looking forward to reading the next story.
I loved this as usual. Anything Anne Bishop writes is pure gold. I love that Cassie was given a second chance to be a queen after her other court was stolen from her. It was hard to put up with the stupidity of Prince Greyhaven even after Cassie was able to unlock the spells that hid his family’s treasure. His oblivion towards Kermella was almost intolerable. I loved the honey pears and how they were found and am really looking forward to reading the next story.
March 7, 2023
2 words saved this book for me : talking dogs.
July 12, 2018
SO glad Theran got his comeuppances! What a delightful read. It was a page turner from beginning to end.
January 28, 2021
Another squishy story of love, honour, betrayal and survival 🖤
Read it! Buy the series! Read them all! Go motherfucker go! 😅😅😅
Yup you already know this is a 5 starer for me as its a Black Jewels book! We are back in Shalador and Dena Nahele and Reunited with my second favourite court from this series!
Everyone is still broken emotionally, penniless and working oh so hard to form a court that will stand the test of time. I wont give anything away as its kinda like a Part Two to The Shadow Queen but it is oh SO WONDERFUL ❤️
Theres sex, fighting, sadness, proud moments, a wedding, a betrayal...or seven! Honestly I just loved it 🤣 can you tell!?
I am genuinely excited to keep reading my way through this series but on earth will I do when its all over 😭😭😭
Read it! Buy the series! Read them all! Go motherfucker go! 😅😅😅
Yup you already know this is a 5 starer for me as its a Black Jewels book! We are back in Shalador and Dena Nahele and Reunited with my second favourite court from this series!
Everyone is still broken emotionally, penniless and working oh so hard to form a court that will stand the test of time. I wont give anything away as its kinda like a Part Two to The Shadow Queen but it is oh SO WONDERFUL ❤️
Theres sex, fighting, sadness, proud moments, a wedding, a betrayal...or seven! Honestly I just loved it 🤣 can you tell!?
I am genuinely excited to keep reading my way through this series but on earth will I do when its all over 😭😭😭
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