Daughter of the Blood

So, for my first review, I read Daughter of the Blood, by Anne Bishop. This book is a great fantasy read and one of my favorite books. I must admit that some of this book is a bit light but for those who are looking to enjoy a good book just for the sake of a good book, you will probably enjoy this. I tend to read this book on a regular basis, especially when I just want to curl up and read something for the joy of it. The story sucks you in and I flew through this book and the sequels in very little time.

In the world created by Bishop, magical abilities, known as Craft, are held and practiced by individuals called the Blood (nearly every character seen in any detail is a member of the Blood, though strength is a large variable between them). Of course, some of the Blood have become twisted and have sought to take over the world, without care for the lives of anyone else. The good are either dead, hiding, enslaved, or living a life of fear and doing whatever they can to avoid annoying those in power and to live their lives as best they can. The story begins with the arrival of a long-awaited savior of sorts – a Queen, “dreams made flesh” who would have the power to cleanse the world and save the good. The plot revolves around this savior, a character by the name of Jaenelle, and those closest to her. While this basic plot line may be a bit over used, there are interesting elements that makes Bishop’s story different.

One strange element to Bishop's story can be found in the names of several of the guys surrounding Jaenelle: names such as Saetan, Deamon, and Lucivar, all of whom are on the good-guy side of the equation. I'm not sure what kind of message Bishop is trying to send through these choices but it is something to wonder about.

One of my favorite elements in this book is the humor found at various intervals between the characters. Bishop adds real life humor into the story, making you love the characters even more. The characters are real, with flaws and strengths, and the humor amplifies this.

One warning I should add is that there are some seriously twisted elements in this book, including pedophilic characters, rape (though Bishop keeps most of it out of direct sight), and other violent sexual ideas. Most of this is used to establish the world the characters inhabit and the idea that something is very wrong in their society, but I would not give this book to anyone younger than 17.

Daughter of the Blood is the first in the Black Jewels Trilogy and the sequel is Heir to the Shadows. I would recommend having the entire series ready at hand. The first book ends on a bit of a cliff and you are probably going to want to dive right into the second book.

All in all, I love this book and would recommend it to almost anyone, especially for those who enjoy fantasy.

Rating: 5.0