Tangled Webs

I have a really bad habit of opening a book, with no intention of reading any more than the first page or so, just to see how it looks, and getting sucked in. Like yesterday. I started one book and then a friend lent me Tangled Webs, which takes place in the same world and with the same characters as the Black Jeweled Trilogy, a series which I love and have posted on before. I meant to read Tangled Webs after I had finished the first book but I wanted to see how it started. And then I couldn't stop reading it. One of these days, I will learn that this is what happens when I so much read the first sentence of some books.

Anyway, this book really was good. If you haven't read the Black Jewels Trilogy, you might want to read them before trying this one out, as most of the characters are fleshed out in the series and a brief reintroduction is all that is found in the narrative. I love the characters, though some of the ones I love the most have very little time in the main story. Surreal is one of the main characters and though we see a good bit of Jaenelle, Daemon, Saetan, and Lucivar, I wanted more time with them and less with Surreal. We have little or no time with most of the old coven and that made me sad too. Personal preference, surely, but it annoyed me a little to have no Karla (Kiss, kiss.) and so little time with the kindred.

We are also introduced to an author who was raised as a landen (non-magical people) and has now found out he is a member of the Blood (the people with magical abilities who rule the land). Add to that some arrogance and pretensions, a healthy dose of disappointment with his reception by the rest of the Blood, and a good deal of stupidity and you have the recipe for a man who is probably going to have some very bad ideas and make some bad decisions.

I enjoyed this story but there were problems with it. Some of the dialogue, especially near the beginning felt a bit wooden, like Bishop was trying to reintroduce the characters quickly and didn't want to waste time with it so she could get back to the story. Also, the sexuality that was in the series but not seen was brought out more, which was disappointing to me. Little things like that lessened the book for me but only a little. I still enjoyed this foray back into the world of the Black Jewels and I am only too eager for anything else Ms. Bishop may write in the future concerning this world and it's characters.

Rating: 4.5

Queen of the Darkness

Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop is the last book in her Dark Jewels Trilogy and possibly the best one in the series. The earlier books are Daughter of the Blood and Heir to the Shadows and you will need to read them before you get to this book: the individual books do not stand alone.

Anyway, in Queen of the Darkness we find everyone gathering for a final conflict as Dorothea and Hekatah try to go to war with Kaeleer, with hopes of ruling all three Realms. On the other side, Jaenelle's Court is trying to save their and we are warned that a friend may become an enemy in order to remain a friend.

I do love this series and this book is my favorite from the series, possibly because we get to see Daemon, Lucivar, Saetan, and Jaenelle together for the first time. We also see Daemon change from who he has been in the past and find a good place for him to be, in all ways. Bishop helps us fall in love with the characters and you keep hoping that everything turns out right. Quite simply: its a great read for those who love fantasy.

Bishop has written a few more books that take place in this world, including a couple of short stories, found in Dreams Made Flesh, and a book coming out in March 2008. If you liked these books, you will probably want to check those out as well.

Rating: 5.0

Heir to the Shadows

I have to begin by saying that I love this book... it is one of my favorites, ever since I found it in the bookstore a few years ago. Since then, I have gotten several of my friends hooked on this series and they love it as much as I do.

Heir to the Shadows is the second book in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy. I wouldn't recommend starting this book until you have read Daughter of the Blood as the trilogy is very much a package deal: the three books add up to creat one cohesive larger story and you skipping one book would cause you to be missing a great deal of information.

Once you have read Daughter of the Blood, you will definitely want to dive into this book. I loved it and in some ways, this book is better than the prequel. Bishop continues to use the endearing humor found in the first book; in fact, there seems to be more of it because Bishop can spend more time on the story, instead of establishing the world the characters inhabit.

After the events of the first book, this starts with Saetan adopting Jaenelle while Lucivar and Daemon try to escape Terreille. We watch Jaenelle grow up and finally meet some of her other friends, including some kindred. Of course, during this time, the evil forces of the first book continue to try to gain power over the realms.

There is some violence in this book, but it is more battle type violence or killing as opposed to the sexually-based violence found in the first book.

All in all, this is a great book for fans of fantasy and I heartily recommend it. The last book in the series is called Queen of the Darkness and you will probably want to have it nearby when you have finished with Heir to the Shadows.

Rating: 5.0

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