Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Roc Trade (2007), Paperback, 384 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. HTML:In the first novel in New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop�??s beloved Black Jewels Trilogy, a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels will meet their once and future queen�?� Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions. Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence�??and corruption. Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men�??sworn enemies�??know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love�??and the prize could be terrible b… (more)
Media reviews
Library Journal
"Lavishly sensual...a richly detailed world based on a reversal of standard genre cliches."
User reviews
LibraryThing member MidnightSWolf
Beautiful. Lavish. Stunning.
I just can't find the words to describe that emotional surge and hopeless dreaming Anne Bishop has inspired in me.
This dark fantasy has taken over my life during the time I was reading it. Even knowing that the fantasy would end sooner, I couldn't help but feverishly
Anne Bishop knows how to pull all your heart strings, making you laugh, love, live in the world she has created. Even with the story ended, I have a hopeless longing to continue living in its pages. The characters are so real you can't help but fall in love with them. Innocent Jaenelle, with all her dark power. Ravishing Daemon, fierce and sadistic, with a noble heart beneath his fearsome reputation. I've gone to sleep mooning over these characters, and dreaming of the tantalising dark world.
Bishop doesn't waste time explaining. She plunges you right into the middle of the Dark Kingdom, with its three Realms, races and magic abounding everywhere. As a result, the world, so different from ours, can seem a little confusing at first, but you quickly catch on, and soon it's like you've always lived in those pages.
You flow with all the moments. Your heart breaks for the characters, and you emerge triumphant with them. I've had to restrain myself from laughing aloud during the witty bits, littered throughout the series. I've flexed my fingers, so fired by the way Bishop portrays the antagonists that I've wanted to rip through something.
The first few blatant uses of magic, such as vanishing an object, annoyed me, but I quickly accepted that it was the Blood's way of life. Magic ran so deep in them. Another thing didn't sit well with me was, if the protagonists were the most powerful people in all three Realms, why couldn't they just blow up the antagonists and have done with? They were clearly capable of doing it, and had even considered it during the course of the story.
Nevertheless, it was such a beautiful story, its splendour overshadowed whatever tiny flaws there were. I'm still hungry for more, and Anne Bishop does satisfy her readers' cravings. There are other novels outside of the series that feature the dark Realms and the beloved characters. I myself have scurried down to my bookstore and procured a copy of Tangled Webs. A brief flick through has already set my heart beating, and I've fallen in love with the characters all over again.
I look forward to exploring the dreamscape with Jaenelle, Daemon, Luciver, Surreal and other characters again. Anne Bishop and her Black Jewels Trilogy has easily risen to the top of my favourites list, closely followed by George R.R Martin and his Song of Ice and Fire.
I just can't find the words to describe that emotional surge and hopeless dreaming Anne Bishop has inspired in me.
This dark fantasy has taken over my life during the time I was reading it. Even knowing that the fantasy would end sooner, I couldn't help but feverishly
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flip through the pages of all three books.Anne Bishop knows how to pull all your heart strings, making you laugh, love, live in the world she has created. Even with the story ended, I have a hopeless longing to continue living in its pages. The characters are so real you can't help but fall in love with them. Innocent Jaenelle, with all her dark power. Ravishing Daemon, fierce and sadistic, with a noble heart beneath his fearsome reputation. I've gone to sleep mooning over these characters, and dreaming of the tantalising dark world.
Bishop doesn't waste time explaining. She plunges you right into the middle of the Dark Kingdom, with its three Realms, races and magic abounding everywhere. As a result, the world, so different from ours, can seem a little confusing at first, but you quickly catch on, and soon it's like you've always lived in those pages.
You flow with all the moments. Your heart breaks for the characters, and you emerge triumphant with them. I've had to restrain myself from laughing aloud during the witty bits, littered throughout the series. I've flexed my fingers, so fired by the way Bishop portrays the antagonists that I've wanted to rip through something.
The first few blatant uses of magic, such as vanishing an object, annoyed me, but I quickly accepted that it was the Blood's way of life. Magic ran so deep in them. Another thing didn't sit well with me was, if the protagonists were the most powerful people in all three Realms, why couldn't they just blow up the antagonists and have done with? They were clearly capable of doing it, and had even considered it during the course of the story.
Nevertheless, it was such a beautiful story, its splendour overshadowed whatever tiny flaws there were. I'm still hungry for more, and Anne Bishop does satisfy her readers' cravings. There are other novels outside of the series that feature the dark Realms and the beloved characters. I myself have scurried down to my bookstore and procured a copy of Tangled Webs. A brief flick through has already set my heart beating, and I've fallen in love with the characters all over again.
I look forward to exploring the dreamscape with Jaenelle, Daemon, Luciver, Surreal and other characters again. Anne Bishop and her Black Jewels Trilogy has easily risen to the top of my favourites list, closely followed by George R.R Martin and his Song of Ice and Fire.
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LibraryThing member xicanti
Three men entwine their destinies with that of a young girl who may be in a position to restore order to their damaged world.
There's lots of big, sweeping, epic stuff going on in this book, but it's the characters who make the story shine. They don't always act in ways that correspond to Western
There are some amazing moments between Jaenelle, Lucivar, Daemon and Saetan, as well as some heartbreaking missed opportunities. Some are big and epic, while some are small and personal, but they're all wonderful. My only regret where the central characters are concerned is that we don't spend any time in Jaenelle's head. We see her entirely through the others' eyes. I do wish we'd been able to spend a little longer with some of the secondary characters, too. I love Surreal, and hope to see more of her over the next couple of books.
I also found the worldbuilding rather interesting. Lately, I find myself moving further and further away from pseudo-medieval fantasy. I still love me some imaginary world, but I love me some different imaginary world. I don't necessarily want instantly comfortable worlds anymore; I want worlds that challenge my preconceived notions of genre. This fit the bill. Parts of this place are surprisingly modern; the fashions, for example, sound like the sort of thing you could wear on the street today. The Blood also have magical systems that seem to mimic technology like photography and audio recording, and their Web Coaches sound like magical trains to me. There are still some pseudo-medieval elements in evidence, including the political organization, but I can deal with 'em.
Then there's the magic. Bishop introduces each element in such a way that it feels completely natural. You don't even have to stop and think about it; you just roll with it. And I want to be able to vanish things, please. That would make my life so much easier.
So I loved the book, but there were a couple of things that threw me for a loop. First and foremost: the gender stuff seemed a little odd, given that the Blood are matriarchal. They still subscribe to a number of standard Western gender constructs, including that of the fragile, waif-like young girl. I didn't entirely buy the way Challiot society treats its daughters. All the young girls we meet seem so sheltered and protected.
I was also a bit iffy on the longevity factor. The Blood live for a long, long time, and yet their families and their society seem to be structured in way that would best accommodate persons with a shorter lifespan. I wasn't entirely convinced that things would be organized in the way Bishop describes.
But I'll admit, I mostly just tried not to think about that. I was enjoying the story too much to let a couple of details get in the way--and when you consider that I am an insanely picky reader who almost never shunts these sorts of concerns to the side, that's saying something.
I highly recommend this, but please be aware that some readers may find the content triggering. The book isn't nearly as dark as I expected, (which probably says something about me), but there's still plenty herein that could bother you.
(A longer version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
There's lots of big, sweeping, epic stuff going on in this book, but it's the characters who make the story shine. They don't always act in ways that correspond to Western
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morality, but you've gotta consider the world they live in and what they've been through. Saetan, who teaches young Jaenelle to use her magical powers, is a Guardian, (read vampire, even though Bishop doesn't call him that), and he's been kicking around for about 50,000 years. His estranged sons, Daemon and Lucivar, have both endured centuries of the worst sort of physical and emotional abuse as pleasure slaves. They've been through hell and it's shaped them, but they're still sympathetic characters. I loved all three.There are some amazing moments between Jaenelle, Lucivar, Daemon and Saetan, as well as some heartbreaking missed opportunities. Some are big and epic, while some are small and personal, but they're all wonderful. My only regret where the central characters are concerned is that we don't spend any time in Jaenelle's head. We see her entirely through the others' eyes. I do wish we'd been able to spend a little longer with some of the secondary characters, too. I love Surreal, and hope to see more of her over the next couple of books.
I also found the worldbuilding rather interesting. Lately, I find myself moving further and further away from pseudo-medieval fantasy. I still love me some imaginary world, but I love me some different imaginary world. I don't necessarily want instantly comfortable worlds anymore; I want worlds that challenge my preconceived notions of genre. This fit the bill. Parts of this place are surprisingly modern; the fashions, for example, sound like the sort of thing you could wear on the street today. The Blood also have magical systems that seem to mimic technology like photography and audio recording, and their Web Coaches sound like magical trains to me. There are still some pseudo-medieval elements in evidence, including the political organization, but I can deal with 'em.
Then there's the magic. Bishop introduces each element in such a way that it feels completely natural. You don't even have to stop and think about it; you just roll with it. And I want to be able to vanish things, please. That would make my life so much easier.
So I loved the book, but there were a couple of things that threw me for a loop. First and foremost: the gender stuff seemed a little odd, given that the Blood are matriarchal. They still subscribe to a number of standard Western gender constructs, including that of the fragile, waif-like young girl. I didn't entirely buy the way Challiot society treats its daughters. All the young girls we meet seem so sheltered and protected.
I was also a bit iffy on the longevity factor. The Blood live for a long, long time, and yet their families and their society seem to be structured in way that would best accommodate persons with a shorter lifespan. I wasn't entirely convinced that things would be organized in the way Bishop describes.
But I'll admit, I mostly just tried not to think about that. I was enjoying the story too much to let a couple of details get in the way--and when you consider that I am an insanely picky reader who almost never shunts these sorts of concerns to the side, that's saying something.
I highly recommend this, but please be aware that some readers may find the content triggering. The book isn't nearly as dark as I expected, (which probably says something about me), but there's still plenty herein that could bother you.
(A longer version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
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LibraryThing member booksandwine
Honestly, I sort of have a love/hate relationship with Daughter of the Blood. I felt certain aspects of the book were fascinating, i.e. the whole Jewels ranking, Saetan, Jaenelle's powers, the island of dead kids. Other parts of this book were kind of yuck for me, such as how women would basically
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use males for sex and control the males via cock-rings. Yeah, I know this book is supposed to show a society which is the opposite of patriarchy, but oh em gee, Anne Bishop did you need to be so hateful towards the females in power.Okay, let me just put this out there right now, this book is chock full of sex. I'm pretty sure every other chapter had sex in it. And here's the thing, I'm not anti-sex in books by any means at all, just I think some of the sex was uncomfortable to read. I know not all that goes on between the sheets is supposed to be awesome, but come on now, at least let someone have one good experience.Also, there's this creepy attraction of all the males in the book towards the underage female, Jaenelle. Seriously, I know this is a fantasy book, but still children are not "sexy." Not by a long shot. With that out of the way, I did enjoy the imagination this book obviously exuded. I think the idea of a female-centered society is intriguing, however I'd like to think females wouldn't need to bind male parts to control society. Also, I liked that this book made me feel really sad as something incredibly depressing happened to one of the characters, and I didn't really think I would care, but turns out I did care.I'm not sure when exactly I am going to pick this series up again. It's alright, but not the greatest book I've ever read, nor even the greatest fantasy book. Show Less
LibraryThing member RainbowsEnd
After reading all the rave reviews for this book I finally decided to give it a try, as I was looking for something new. Boy was I disappointed, and that is putting it mildly. The book seemed to me like it was written for pre- teens, the writing style was so simplistic. It was all I could do to
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keep from laughing out loud at times at how ridiculous the dialogue was. I finished this book and the second book, but decided the story was going no where and wasn't holding my interest so I finally gave up. Show Less
LibraryThing member Narilka
Seven hundred years ago a Black Widow witch saw a prophecy in her tangled web of dreams. Now Witch, a new Queen who will wield more power than the High Lord of Hell himself, has come but she is still young, open to influence and corruption. Whoever can control Witch will rule the Darkness. And so
Daughter of the Blood is the first in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. It is a dark fantasy series set in the Realms of the Blood. Blood society is matriarchal with castes ranked by the color of the jewel you wear. The darker the jewel, the more power you have. Bishop has reversed typical fantasy roles. Not only do the women rule but she highlights the physical and social differences between the sexes and shows the fallacies of the system that the people of her world have accepted. She challenges typical gender roles regarding relationships, sexuality and power between men and women. She also explores the idea of how empowered women can be when they believe in themselves and just how easy it could be to destroy that empowerment.
The setting is also different. There are three realms: Terreille, Kaeleer and Hell. It is not medieval nor is it particularly modern. The best description I can come up with is otherworldly. Magic is used instead of technology. People are split into two groups, landen and Blood. Landen are your normal, every day people while Blood is the ruling class that wears jewels, has magic and is fairly long lived. Among the Blood this is broken down further into the living, the living dead and the demon dead with a few races mentioned. Each Realm is divided into territories, with each territory ruled by a Queen and her court. There are various roles in the Queen's court though details are left somewhat vague at this point.
While there are many side characters, the story focuses on four characters in particular: Saetan, Daemon, Lucifer and Jeanelle. The first three are almost pretty much exactly what you think. Saetan is the High Lord of Hell and Daemon and Lucifer are his sons. Daemon and Lucifer were taken as children and raised as pleasure slaves in their aunt's court. Both men have been tortured and abused for their entire lives, their only hope laying in the prophecy of a future Queen who is destined the cleanse the blood of their aunt's taint. Jeanelle is the youngest granddaughter of Chaillot Territory's Queen. Her family sees her as a disturbed young girl who makes up fanciful stories and has been in and out of a mental institution since she was five. Not is all as it seems at the hospital as many of the girls admitted never return to their families. Each character is caught in their own prison, some mentally, some emotionally, some physically, with each person struggling to break free as the story progresses. Each character also must face what they are willing to sacrifice to ensure the prophecy comes true.
The story is a slow reveal with many threads that is spread across all three books. This is a reread for me and it's fun to see just how each book builds upon the one before it. The first book ends on quite a cliff hanger so make sure you have the second one ready to go if you end up enjoying the first/
This series is not for everyone. There are graphic sex scenes and plenty of violence, especially violence against women and children. The scenes are very intense and can be uncomfortable to read. Light moments are mixed in to break things up but it is a series not for the faint of heart.
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begins a game of ruthless politics over the fate of one young girl and the Realms. Daughter of the Blood is the first in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. It is a dark fantasy series set in the Realms of the Blood. Blood society is matriarchal with castes ranked by the color of the jewel you wear. The darker the jewel, the more power you have. Bishop has reversed typical fantasy roles. Not only do the women rule but she highlights the physical and social differences between the sexes and shows the fallacies of the system that the people of her world have accepted. She challenges typical gender roles regarding relationships, sexuality and power between men and women. She also explores the idea of how empowered women can be when they believe in themselves and just how easy it could be to destroy that empowerment.
The setting is also different. There are three realms: Terreille, Kaeleer and Hell. It is not medieval nor is it particularly modern. The best description I can come up with is otherworldly. Magic is used instead of technology. People are split into two groups, landen and Blood. Landen are your normal, every day people while Blood is the ruling class that wears jewels, has magic and is fairly long lived. Among the Blood this is broken down further into the living, the living dead and the demon dead with a few races mentioned. Each Realm is divided into territories, with each territory ruled by a Queen and her court. There are various roles in the Queen's court though details are left somewhat vague at this point.
While there are many side characters, the story focuses on four characters in particular: Saetan, Daemon, Lucifer and Jeanelle. The first three are almost pretty much exactly what you think. Saetan is the High Lord of Hell and Daemon and Lucifer are his sons. Daemon and Lucifer were taken as children and raised as pleasure slaves in their aunt's court. Both men have been tortured and abused for their entire lives, their only hope laying in the prophecy of a future Queen who is destined the cleanse the blood of their aunt's taint. Jeanelle is the youngest granddaughter of Chaillot Territory's Queen. Her family sees her as a disturbed young girl who makes up fanciful stories and has been in and out of a mental institution since she was five. Not is all as it seems at the hospital as many of the girls admitted never return to their families. Each character is caught in their own prison, some mentally, some emotionally, some physically, with each person struggling to break free as the story progresses. Each character also must face what they are willing to sacrifice to ensure the prophecy comes true.
The story is a slow reveal with many threads that is spread across all three books. This is a reread for me and it's fun to see just how each book builds upon the one before it. The first book ends on quite a cliff hanger so make sure you have the second one ready to go if you end up enjoying the first/
This series is not for everyone. There are graphic sex scenes and plenty of violence, especially violence against women and children. The scenes are very intense and can be uncomfortable to read. Light moments are mixed in to break things up but it is a series not for the faint of heart.
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LibraryThing member vhoeschler
No.
The true sign of a bad book is when the reader is looking forward to it ending. Towards the end of this one, I was compulsively checking to see how much farther I had to go…bad book.
I picked up Daughter of the Blood as part of a personal experiment testing my affinity for Fantasy stories.
So, like I said, I’m now on a kick to read other Fantasy books to see if I can achieve the same addictive rush I got from the Twilight books. I consider Daughter of the Blood to be a major setback in this whole process. First off, there is not a single part of this story that has any bearing to anything “real”; it takes place in some otherworldly realm where places like Hell act as a suburb and a typical character is someone like Satan who’s just kickin’ home-style with his many bastard children running amuck and trying to come to terms with their respective inability to orgasm, which is frustrating because they’re sex slaves. Yeah. Exactly. WHAT??? I was so disoriented in this book I didn’t know when I was supposed to be intrigued, when I was supposed to laugh and when I was supposed to feel sadness, etc. Totally bizarre.
Anyway, I’m not giving up on the Fantasy genre just yet, but this book was just too much and no, I will certainly not be reading the rest of the series.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Suggested With: Mind altering drugs.
The true sign of a bad book is when the reader is looking forward to it ending. Towards the end of this one, I was compulsively checking to see how much farther I had to go…bad book.
I picked up Daughter of the Blood as part of a personal experiment testing my affinity for Fantasy stories.
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After recently finishing the Twilight series and adoring it (albeit, unwillingly) I decided that perhaps I’ve been too critical in my regard for the genre as a whole. For years I’ve thought of Fantasy as the domain of the “Dungeons and Dragons” masturbatory cult; ridiculous and embarrassing. With the advent of Meyer’s vampire series, however, this attitude completely changed. So, like I said, I’m now on a kick to read other Fantasy books to see if I can achieve the same addictive rush I got from the Twilight books. I consider Daughter of the Blood to be a major setback in this whole process. First off, there is not a single part of this story that has any bearing to anything “real”; it takes place in some otherworldly realm where places like Hell act as a suburb and a typical character is someone like Satan who’s just kickin’ home-style with his many bastard children running amuck and trying to come to terms with their respective inability to orgasm, which is frustrating because they’re sex slaves. Yeah. Exactly. WHAT??? I was so disoriented in this book I didn’t know when I was supposed to be intrigued, when I was supposed to laugh and when I was supposed to feel sadness, etc. Totally bizarre.
Anyway, I’m not giving up on the Fantasy genre just yet, but this book was just too much and no, I will certainly not be reading the rest of the series.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Suggested With: Mind altering drugs.
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LibraryThing member Pompeia
The best dark fantasy I've ever read. The first book in the Black Jewels Trilogy is excellent.
The story is a typical fantasy setting with a twist: a child with with a great destiny. However, in this book the child is not the main character and mostly we only see her through others' eyes. For me,
The only thing about Daughter of the Blood I really don't like is that it gave me huge expectations for the next two books of the trilogy, which were good, but not nearly as good as this book.
I recommend the book to anybody who enjoys dark fantasy.
The story is a typical fantasy setting with a twist: a child with with a great destiny. However, in this book the child is not the main character and mostly we only see her through others' eyes. For me,
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however, the story comes as second to the world with its magic system and hierarchy. The very best the book has to offer is its characters - Daemon, Lucivar and Saetan are great dangerous heroes although sometimes a bit repetitive in their moods.The only thing about Daughter of the Blood I really don't like is that it gave me huge expectations for the next two books of the trilogy, which were good, but not nearly as good as this book.
I recommend the book to anybody who enjoys dark fantasy.
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LibraryThing member Black_samvara
A prophetess foretells the coming of a Queen who will rule a powerful and corrupted race of magic users. The Blood have forsaken their ancient responsibilities and their unbalanced society thrives on sadism and cruelty. The living embodiment of magic, a seven year old girl could be the answer some
Dark. Very dark. Middling as fantasy goes but with a wonderfully witty touch that kept me happily in there until I ran out of pages.
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are desperately yearning for, but who will influence her as she matures.. and who will dare stand by her side. Dark. Very dark. Middling as fantasy goes but with a wonderfully witty touch that kept me happily in there until I ran out of pages.
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LibraryThing member TexasTam
This was a great book, that kept my attention through the whole book. Very good twists.
LibraryThing member supershineygirl
This start to the trilogy just breaks my heart. Jaenelle is so special and precocious as a child. I love how she meets the important people in her life and the beginning of these relationships. But the violence and child abuse just make me so sad.
LibraryThing member bluerose
I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!! This is the most original and different view of magic I think I have ever read. What I really like about it is how Anne incorporates the magic as part of the society and culture. Thats a critical part of the underlying and overarching plot throughout the whole trilogy.
If you
If you
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like your magic dark and sexy and witty and funny, with fantastic characters, mind bending world building, plots within plots and stories within the story then read this series! Show Less
LibraryThing member La-Plume
First Book of the Black Jewels Trilogy. Violent, mysterious and breath taking.
LibraryThing member TadAD
I really enjoyed her Ephemera stories, but this one did nothing for me.
LibraryThing member evaausten6
Book one in a triology, this book was amazing. A little hard to get into due to the information needed to be absorbed but once your past that - your hooked and you cannot stop till the last page which only leaves you hanging for the nest one.
LibraryThing member Alera
I've been told for over a year or more to pick up this book. Well, I finally did. It's dark. It's twisted. Everything is intricately interwoven much like the webs the characters travel on. The writing is amazing. She somehow takes themes that if handled incorrectly could fail miserably and in some
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instances be downright creepy and instead makes me yearn with the characters. Jaenelle's innocence is so refreshing mixed in with all the darkness of the adults. She is a beacon.....and when they try to destroy her....you finally get the chance to see those she affected most really shine with her own goodness seeming to reflect through them. I look forward to getting a chance to read the rest. Show Less
LibraryThing member G.Fern
This is a beautiful and dark fantasy novel. Anne Bishop can dip into the somewhat cheesy with her writing style, but somehow it works with the story without being overly florid. She is a master of suggested violence. I cried every time read this series for years.
LibraryThing member DriderQueen
A tired Guardian must find the strength to teach a child how to wield her power. A young Queen, born with powers unheard of before her. She can be manipulated and formed if fallen into the wrong hands. A Black-Jewel Warrior Prince, tired of the life of a court whore, dreams of Witch, but is he
This beginning totally took me in with it's characters, history and how it is written. It's a must read to dark fantasy lover.
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ready to see, meet and love her?This beginning totally took me in with it's characters, history and how it is written. It's a must read to dark fantasy lover.
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LibraryThing member Moriquen
Well, this is definately fantasy unlike I've read before. It was a strange and sometimes sick book. (The perversity that is Briarwood just made my blood boil, I can't help it. It made my stomach lurch several times.) I do admit however that I am intrigued and would like to read the second and third
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part in the trilogy (Heir to the Shadows and Queen of the Darkness) to see how Jeanelle fares, how she heals and how she is/becomes 'Witch'.However there are some things that I didn't like about the book. I'm always a bit weary when a book starts with a list of things you need to know before you start reading. (Like the list of jewels and the explanation of the hierarchy.) I always feel that a good writer doesn't need to list these things up front, but should be able to explain them to a reader sufficiently along the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kilina
This book is Magic. The world is very creative and rich with the fantasy of Bishop’s imagination. The different realms, the way the Blood use Craft and the dynamics of the people who populate the world are fascinating. The characterization is well done and you are immediately engrossed in their
This was a really good start to the trilogy. A few things left me wishing there had been more explanation behind the world building but most of the problems I could overlook.
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lives. You begin to really hope that when Witch rises to power, the other characters get what they have been waiting for too.This was a really good start to the trilogy. A few things left me wishing there had been more explanation behind the world building but most of the problems I could overlook.
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LibraryThing member steenface
I picked these up on a whim and, while I found the premise fairly cheesy early on, I quickly got caught up in the storyline and the characters. The characters all begin to tie into each other, their lives indirectly overlapping, while they all find themselves protecting an unusual child. In a world
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of Rings of Obedience, uncles, and evil witches, one strange little girl must survive --- at all costs --- to free them all. Show Less
LibraryThing member VivalaErin
I had this series for a while before I ever had a chance to read it, and now it is by far my favorite series! I love the world Bishop has created, and the characters are the kind who keep you involved. The men are incredible, and there are so many times that Jeanelle makes me laugh! It's dark and
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sexy and completely fantastic. Show Less
LibraryThing member pearl24
Wow! This book was not at all what I was expecting. Its a very complex world that Ann Bishop creats in this series but its also very fascinating world. This is basically the story of Saeton, Daemon, Lucivar, Jaenell, and although not a main carchater there is a lot to do with Surreal as well. Yes
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the names themselves are scary but dont let it disscourage you; they are all the farthist thing from evil. There are so many ups and downs in this book but its a very fast paste book and never a dull moment. I will admit I was in tears in the last couple of chapters and the ending left me "jaw dropped". I was so stunned I immediatlly picked up book two. This book was amazing and yes, though there are some things in this book that are tough to handle in the real world, they are just as though in the book but it happenes non the less; its all a part of Jaenells story and what shapes her to be who she is. I truely believe you will not be dissapointed in this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member seekingflight
This is the first of the Black Jewels fantasy trilogy that tells of the prophesised coming of a young girl (Jaenelle) with powers beyond anything the protagonists have seen so far.
This is a world where women rule, while men protect and serve. Dorothea is the evil queen who has enslaved or purged
Three men come to know and love the young girl, Janelle, and to offer her training and protection. But in a world where they find it difficult even to trust each other, how well will they be able to protect her from the darkness that has taken over their world?
I found this an enjoyable read, although initially taken aback by some particularly graphic incidents of violence, and particularly sexual violence, that may mean that these books are not everyone’s cup of tea.
Ultimately, what made this work for me was that I cared about the characters and what happened to them, loved the way in which they relationships between them were depicted, and enjoyed the thought that had gone into the building of this world.
This is a world where women rule, while men protect and serve. Dorothea is the evil queen who has enslaved or purged
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all of the strong men and women capable of opposing her; and cowed the weak into becoming her own tools of terror – targeting their own anger and fear at those still weaker than they ...Three men come to know and love the young girl, Janelle, and to offer her training and protection. But in a world where they find it difficult even to trust each other, how well will they be able to protect her from the darkness that has taken over their world?
I found this an enjoyable read, although initially taken aback by some particularly graphic incidents of violence, and particularly sexual violence, that may mean that these books are not everyone’s cup of tea.
Ultimately, what made this work for me was that I cared about the characters and what happened to them, loved the way in which they relationships between them were depicted, and enjoyed the thought that had gone into the building of this world.
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LibraryThing member SunnySD
Witch will come again. (That's Witch, with a capital W.) The prophecy says so. Of course, the Weaver that foresaw her coming is mad, but that's the way of Weavers. And everyone mostly ignored the prediction anyway.
In realms where witches and black widows may be queens who hold court, and the Blood
Only one thing can halt the inevitable slide into chaos - the coming of Witch. But Witch who comes is only a child, and children are weak...
There's a bit of bouncing around time-wise and realm-wise, and the subject matter isn't light and fluffy, but this is a finely crafted fantasy. I'm hooked.
In realms where witches and black widows may be queens who hold court, and the Blood
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are jewel carriers of varying ranks who should guard and protect their realms, many things are broken. No longer do Warlord Princes vie for the right to serve their queens - instead they are chained by rings of obedience and forced to serve. Only in the Dark Realm where Saetan rules are things holding, but even there the Dark Priestess schemes his downfall. Only one thing can halt the inevitable slide into chaos - the coming of Witch. But Witch who comes is only a child, and children are weak...
There's a bit of bouncing around time-wise and realm-wise, and the subject matter isn't light and fluffy, but this is a finely crafted fantasy. I'm hooked.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
The story drew me in from the start. I was intrigued by the magical matriarchal society, with a shifting power dynamic determined by caste, rank and class depending greatly on magical power--and the title heroine, long prophesied and awaited throwing a joker into this deck.
Bishop is adept at
Bishop is adept at
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making this child protagonist intriguing and yet act her age. And though this is (rightly) described as a "dark fantasy" there is a great deal of leavening humor in the novel. I like Bishop's inversion of the demonic, and in this novel Saetan, Lucifar and Daemon are well-drawn, endearing characters. There are disturbing elements in this novel; depictions of child abuse are an integral part of the story, but I was entranced by this introduction of a magical world unlike any other I've encountered in fiction. This one is a keeper I've reread more than once. There are two other novels, Heir to the Shadows and Queen of the Darkness that together complete the story. Show Less
Awards
IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award (Finalist — 1999)
Original publication date
2007-06-05 Paperback, Roc Trade [2007]
2004 Hardcover, BCA (UK)
2001-01-30 Paperback, HarperCollins Publishers [2001] (Australia)
1998-03-01 Paperback, Roc Mass Market [1998]
Physical description
384 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
0451461487 / 9780451461483