For years the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, forbidding their traditions, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. Now that their land has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, makes it her duty to restore it and prove her ability to rule.
But even if Lady Cassidy succeeds, 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…[Summary from B&N]
I’ve said many times before that I love Anne Bishop’s books and the world and characters she has created in her Black Jewels series. I’ve said it, but I haven’t been able to figure out how to inject the *love* I feel into the statement. Because it’s an unreasonable love, in a the-heart-wants-what-the-heart-wants kind of way; Bishop can do no wrong by me because my heart very much wants her books. So I’m going to take a moment and risk being repetitive and say: Reading a Black Jewels book is like coming home for me. For such a vicious world, I always feel calm, content, happy even when I’m there. And I miss it terribly when I turn the last page, knowing that I’m going to have to wait a year, maybe more, to catch up with the characters again. And the day Ms. Bishop decides their stories are done? Please, no one come near me. I’ll be inconsolable.
Now that I’ve nicely set-up my complete and utter bias, the review. I’ll try to be objective, really, I will, but don’t hold it against me if I fail. Alright?
So, Shaldador’s Lady takes up where The Shadow Queen left off. Theran is as convinced as ever that Cassidy is not right for Dena Nehele, despite the fact that her entire court, his servants, and the majority of the landen in the province adore her. He acts blindly, he’s arrogant and hurtful, and remarkably I felt bad for him in this novel. (Just a little bit, and only towards the end, but even so.) Cassidy’s court hasn’t softened towards him whatsoever; the crux of the conflict stems from how to deal with his obstinacy and Cassidy’s fears while maintaining a very tenuous peace with Blood and landen alike.
What I Loved: Gray’s growing friendship with Lucivar, Daemon and Saetan, and the fact that he draws a very definite line in the sand with Theran; Khollie and the rest of the scelties; a certain scene between Lucivar and Daemon (which cannot be named for its spoiler potential); Ranon and his “my heart is too full for words” moment; and I could keep going. But…
Now for the objective part. Was Shalador’s Lady the best Black Jewels book? No. It lost a great deal of the original trilogy’s threat. I was expecting things to get a bit violent, or at the very least physical, and was surprised by the path the resolution took. Not that it was bad, per se, but an enraged Lucivar is a sight to behold. (And Daemon, too. And Saetan. And I kind of wanted to see Gray rise to that challenge. Or even Ranon. And, okay, maybe I wanted to see Cassidy deck someone.) I also felt that this story went light on the world-building that makes the Black Jewels books so phenomenal. But that’s only because I really want to dig in deep, to wrap it around myself as I’m reading. (Like I said, the heart wants…)
Do you all have books or series that when someone speaks negatively about them you feel a pang of hurt? Or your stomach kind of dips? I have a few of them, and the Black Jewels books – all of them – make the list. I want to shout from a rooftop “Read these books!” but I’m too afraid to put them out there because I want everyone to love them as much as I do. And that’s just not reasonable. All I can say is, I can’t help it. Yes, my love is definitely beyond reason.
I feel like I need to do a reread of the Black Jewels Trilogy. From the first one. Because I started that series in book 2, then just went to book 3. I liked it, and I got book 1, but I never read it.
I also have the DREAMS MADE FLESH story collection on the TBR.
I think I discovered Ann Bishop around the same time I discovered Sharon Shinn. They kind of go together in my mind..
My cousin sent me the first book in this series to read because she loves it so much. I really need to start it.
And, yes, I have some series I just die a little inside each time someone trashes them. Sharon Shinn’s Twelve Houses and Samaria series are definitely on that list. As well as Juliet Marillier’s Sevenwaters series and Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series. I’m sure this list totally takes you off guard.
I haven’t read any books by Anne Bishop. Based on this post, I should probably hunt down the Black Jewels trilogy. I will get on it! And yes I have to agree with Angie’s comment above, I’m hurt when someone says negative things about MWT’s Queen’s Thief series.
I read the Black Jewels trilogy and remember being completely engrossed but at the same time feeling just a little squeamish cause, goodness, should I really have been that happy about all that viciousness? But yes, they are amazingly deep and well written but I still haven’t picked up these latest books. I think I might need to though.
janicu – You must read the first book! It is one of the best set-ups for a series I’ve ever read. (‘Course this is my completely biased self talking, so…)
Angie – I want you to read them, but that comes with a whole lot of worry. I hope you know I respect your opinion like crazy, and so I’d want very, very badly for you to enjoy them. (And love Lucivar and Daemon as much as I do.) And, well… *flails*
As for your list…it came as quite a shock.
Chachic – I hope you do! And I’ll keep my fingers crossed. (and then duck and hide in case you don’t like them.)
Michelle – Heh, I hear you! The latest books aren’t as vicious/violent (which I actually think is rather unfortunate,) so you can rest a little easier.
Anne Bishop is absolutely gifted with a brillant mind. Her books are so capturing! I’ve read the entire series a couple of times now, each and every time I fall more and more in love with the characters, with the land. It kills me that we have to wait a year for another, there be be another! I really want to see Gray and Cassie get into some trouble somwhere, we need some of the violence back, it really did make the first three books amazing! However, I am just as content with Shalador’s Lady, it still gave me that warmth in my heart, and such a better outlook on life ^-^
I’m so glad people out there feel the same way I do about these books!
I love the ALL of Ann Bishop”s books and am going to treat myself to Shalador’s Lady, ASAP. I really shouldn’t want all the blood and gore, but it just makes it seem almost like we are reading a history of another world. I have several series, in different genres, that I love to read and have to make myself wait between reading and sometimes stop reading, so I don’t run out of reading material or mad money.
Masked_Violet – Having to wait a year is cruel (but then, several Black Jewels books could come out a year and it still wouldn’t be enough.) I would love to see Cassie and Gray in future books, too, and having a bit of the violence back would not be a bad thing at all. But, like you, Shalador’s Lady left me supremely happy.
TN_Violet – “A history of another world.” Yes, exactly. The violence and bloodshed have made the characters who they are so I can’t begrudge them. I wouldn’t trade Lucivar, Daemon or Saetan, exactly as they are, for anything.