Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness

I first became enamored with Ms. Bishop's writing in reading her series about the Others. When I saw this book, I was pretty sure I'd be in for a great read. Boy Howdy! Was I ever!!

Anne Bishop creates marvelous worlds, fantastical and yet believable. The world of the Jewels is unlike any I've ever read. It is spellbinding, it is dark with shafts of brilliant light. It is the story of Jaenelle Agneline, born Witch, the "dream made flesh" and her struggles to stay sane, and free from the asylum where her family locks her away and unspeakable horrors are perpetrated on her and the other children who have magic.

The three books take us into the Realms, where we meet Saetan, the adopted father of Jaenelle, her adopted brother, Lucivar, and the man she loves, Daemon Sadi. We meet Priestesses who corrupt the magic and try to destroy all men. And all the while we cannot put the book down, we cannot stop turning the pages until we get to the end, with it's surprise and more than satisfactory conclusion. I don't want to say too much, because I want you to read the books. I can assure you they are not what you think they are. They are infinitely better than you can possibly imagine. Did I mention there are dragons, among other wonderful Kindred?

Anne Bishop is perhaps one of, if not the, most polished writers of fantasy I have ever read. I know better than to go to bed and start one of her books – unless I go to bed really, really early, because I know I will read until my eyes burn and no longer focus, then will get up in the morning and promise myself just one more chapter until the book is finished. I began this trilogy on Thursday afternoon, and finished it Sunday evening. I think I took time out to eat, but am not positive. You are warned.

Speaking of warning you, I should mention this is a fantasy series for adults. It contains sexual matter, and not the kind you want your kids reading. I know that can be a real turn-off for some, so keep that in mind.

If you like your fantasy dark and emotional, then this is the series for you. The Black Jewels Triology is a set of books that I ran across purely by chance and fell in love with. The world and its characters have stuck in my mind ever since.

The magic-users in this book are all bound to different colors and levels of Jewels. They are born with a certain level, but then make their "offering" (which can be dangerous) and end up with a stronger Jewel as a result. Dark jewels are, of course, the best. Here are Witch Queens and Princes engaged in battles and sexual encounters full of magic, spellwork and madness, intense power struggles, and the prophecy of the coming of a special female who will restore what was...Witch Herself.

Jaenelle is the main character in the series and we go with her as she learns about who she is and why she is here. The other two main characters are Lucivar and Daemon Sadi, brothers who are some of the most powerful Princes in the lands, but who have been used and abused for centuries. There are also other fascinating characters, from those who dwell in the land of the dead to those who spin the wildest magic of all due to their own internal madness.

Absolutely fascinating stories. Will appeal to those who are more interested in court intrigue and sexual tensions and internal emotional turmoil than in sword battles. Anything but a sweet gentle set of books, this dark and twisted series that dances with S&M on more than one occasion is not for the reader who likes their fantasy light and sparkly and pretty. Its also not really a book for kids.

This is truly a collection of "Black Jewels."

I cracked open this book about three years ago while waiting for my husband to get off work, and bought it 5 minutes later. I think I have reread it around 15 times since that day. This series is rich in detail, characterization, world building, and dialogue. Every time I read the stories I fall in love all over again with the characters, and find things that I have no idea I missed or have forgotten.

I feel that the author, Ms. Bishop, has truly created a unique world that blends elements we can relate to and magic. Her way of story telling creates vivid pictures to go alone with her words. I enjoy the way she does not shy away from harsh sense, or try and candy coat the way people can treat each other or animals. For all the violence, there is an equal amount of empathy and compassion show by other characters.

The main character Janelle is a blend of ferocious power and deep heart. You get a wonderful balance of invincibility and delicate ego that can be swept away. She doesn't want what she was born with, but accepts is as necessary to protect those that she loves more than life. The other characters swirl around her in an intricate dance that feeds off of and into her personality.

This trilogy is a classic for that will continue to be well read into the future.

I love this trilogy. The first fantasy series I've ever read and now I am hooked on fantasy. Anne Bishop has combined all the things I love most about fiction in these stories; Romance, adventure, fantasy, humor and suspense. The characters are unforgettable long after you put the books down. There are so many memorable moments that pull at your heart. Who else is going to create a Hell in which you actually find yourself wishing you were in it. I found myself wishing Saeten and his sons were my own father and brother. I've read these books at least 3 times and still when I reread them I'm impressed. The four stars are because I fell in love with so many characters and felt that any of them could carry their own stories. So there should be more Black jewel stories.

I read these books several years ago and have reread them several times since. My favorite is the first book Daughter of the Blood. I was drawn into the story very easily and hated to see it end. That's the sign of a good book. What I liked most about all the stories is the relationship between Saetan and his sons. I was touched at how tender and caring a father he was and found myself wishing I had those kinds of relationships in my own life. If people like these characters populated the world we would be a lot better off.

I even loved the dark theme of the novels though I usually like and read upbeat romances. There is a romance in the story but it is very subtle and for me could have been stronger but this is a fantasy novel so I accept that.

My one complaint is that there were some consistency issues with the series. At the beginning Saetan called his son "Namesake" but it was dropped in latter books.
There are so many tender and funny moments that you have to let it slide.

I loved these stories but by the end they lose some of their steam. Still I found myself wishing for another story and found some satisfaction with one of her other novels which is a prequel to this "The invisible Ring." SO if you like these books you will love that one too.

Romancefantasy

In my experience, the more impressive a book is, the harder it is to review. You want your review to do justice to a truly great book, knowing full well that a few hundred words can never truly express your feelings. Now, I find myself trying to do justice to not one fabulous book, but three of the most original, unique, and unbelievably amazing books I have ever read. With The Black Jewels Trilogy (consisting of Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, and Queen of the Darkness), Anne Bishop has taken the literature of dark fantasy to heights I never even dreamed of. She has created a universe I can barely begin to describe, a realm of kingdoms ruled by women, in the form of witches, priestesses, and Black Widow queens, where the strongest of men are forced into the role of consort to the most vindictive of mistresses. Bishop turns good and evil upside down in this masterful literary vision, giving us heroes the likes of Saetan the High Lord of Hayll, his sons Daemon Sadi and Lucivar, and one very special and very powerful young lady named Jaenelle Angelline.

Ancient prophecies have foretold the coming of a powerful witch, one who would in reality be not a mere human female but "dreams made flesh," nothing short of Witch herself. She comes in the form of a tremendously brave little girl, whom we first meet at the age of twelve or so when she comes to Hayll seeking instruction in the Craft from none other than Saetan himself. Human beings don't just come over into the land of the demon-dead, and Saetan quickly recognizes who this young girl truly is and will become. Jaenelle is terrible at the simple magic of the Craft, yet the true strength of her powers is almost infinite. She refuses to speak about her home life, for reasons that gradually become quite clear. Treated as an outcast by her family, she is subject to occasional stays in Briarwood. Briarwood is not what it seems; this "hospital" is in fact a place of unspeakable evil. Briarwood is in essence a poison, and there is no cure for Briarwood. Happenstance lands Daemon Sadi in the home of Jaenelle's grandmother as a consort, but even his undying love and recognition of whom and what Jaenelle really is cannot save her from a most brutal and unforgivable of fates. Daemon, like his estranged father Saetan, does wear the black jewels, however, and he uses all of his magical powers to save the physical life of Jaenelle, falling into the pits of the Twisted Kingdom of insanity in the process.

Saetan claims the girl as his own, and under his care she does gradually recover, but her innocence is gone. As the story progresses, she grows into her role as Witch, gathering among her inner circle the young Black Widow queens of adjacent lands as well as the Kindred, animals who wear the Blood jewels but are not recognized by the "enlightened" rulers of the realm of Terreille - high priestess Hekatah and the dark queen Dorothea, two of the most nefarious and thoroughly corrupt souls ever created by the hand of man or woman. The fate of Daemon, one of the most unique and fascinating characters I've ever encountered, is left hanging in the balance over the course of the entire second book of the trilogy, and his eventual return rekindles a needed spirit of innocent romance to a story defined by darkness and evil. Once Jaenelle makes the Dark Offering and ascends the throne of Ebon Askavi, establishing a Dark Court consisting of the most powerful men and women in the realms, the final conflict of good and evil draws nigh. While the question of victory is, one supposes, never much in doubt, Bishop creates a magical sense of suspense and hesitation on the part of the reader as he/she embarks on the final steps of this wondrous journey. The most beloved of characters suffer much, and the fate of Jaenelle herself is very much left in doubt.

I can't really even begin to describe the wonder and magic this trilogy possesses. It is quite unlike anything I have ever read before, featuring wholly unique and fascinating characters in droves. There is no strict demarcation between good and evil here, as Bishop stands tradition on its head, giving even minor characters more life than I can find in most of my fellow human beings. Some may refer to the romance elements of this story in a condescending manner, and some might look askance at the love Daemon Sadi feels for a twelve-year-old Jaenelle, but this is no prurient tale of lust. The love these remarkable characters feel for one another is of remarkable, noble depth in all manner of different forms, and the ultimate romance of Daemon and the adult Jaenelle is one of almost heart-wrenching innocence.

If you are searching for something different, something that will completely captivate you in the form of a world unlike any you have yet encountered in your literary journeys, The Black Jewels Trilogy stands ready to redefine your very conception of the literature of dark fantasy. This is fantasy that should appeal to women as well as men, for this is not just another work of fantasy built around warlike dwarves, ethereal elves, and heroic battles fought by stereotypical male characters. The Black Jewels Trilogy is literature of the highest order, more than earning author Anne Bishop the title I now personally bestow upon her: the Queen of Dark Fantasy.

While reading I fondly referred to this as the bad fantasy monstrosity, but the honest truth is that, despite a fantasy setting, too many characters, and somewhat unrealistic characterization, this trilogy held my attention and made for an interesting, new, exposing if not entirely unique, read. I would recommend it to those with the time for 1000 pages and the ability to suspend disbelief so far as fantasy is concerned, but I would recommend it.

I'll state outright that I don't read or like very much fantasy but rather prefer science fiction. However, The Black Jewels Trilogy turns out to be lengthy, addicting, and relatively believable as far as fantasy goes. There's a clear progression of plot that keeps the reader interest throughout the length, magic has boundaries and rules and is therefore more believable, and the underlying world in which this all happens--a failing matriarchy--is new enough, and precious enough to the reader that it is worthwhile to hold with the story and see how things turn out. All of those aspects made the book much better than I had predicted it would be, and I enjoyed reading it much more than I expected.

There are a number of drawbacks to the novel--there have to be, or I wouldn't still refer to it as bad fantasy. There are two many characters and their personalities are at the same time too limited, too cut-out and delineated, and also too extreme, unrealistically passionate or sexual or powerful. Unrealistic characters always make reading less enjoyable and lessen the impact and believability of the text. Furthermore, the end of the books is (without giving everything away) anti-climactic and unrealistic. The battle, as it were, happens outside and goes unwitnessed. Furthermore, it is based on a system of segregating people based on good and bad blood, a concept that I just can't believe in--it implies that repentance and forgiveness are impossible and that bad people are always bad and good people always good. The idea bothered me a lot and ruined the ending in my eyes.

In the end, however, this is a lengthy, attention-grabbing, if imperfect bad fantasy monstrosity of a trilogy that makes for an amusing, interesting, fun read. This isn't the sort of text I would normally pick up for myself, but I enjoyed the chance to read it.

This trilogy is exciting and entertaining and very hard to put down.
The books are fascinating, intense, and memorable. The dark, very magical world Bishop created, in which females are dominant, was one of the more interesting and original fantasy worlds I've read about. I especially liked the magic system, which depends on a hierarcy of different coloured jewels. The darker the jewel someone wears, the more powerful is their magic. And there is a lot of magic in these books--fights are fought more with magic than with weapons. But I like that.
The characters are great also--I especially loved Daemon. I've never met a character so filled with contradictions. So cruel, and so yet so kind. (And so sexy!)
My only complaint about the series, and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is that the second two books lost some of the dark, erotic, mysterious feel that the first book had, and contained a lot of cheesy wisecracks which annoyed me somewhat. It seemed to me that Bishop was trying to lighten the mood, and this disappointed me because I was enjoying the dark mood. (Not that the characters joking around wasn't funny, but it didn't really match with the first book.) However, by the second half of the third book, when the real Daemon returns, the mood becomes darker and more intense again.
The ending is suitably dramatic, although I wished Bishop had included a bit more detail--it felt somewhat rushed. Yet it was satisfying enough.
These books do contain some sex and violence, but nothing that I found overly graphic or offensive.
All in all, these books were a great read. Not great literature, but highly entertaining. I'll remember Daemon, Jaenelle, Saetan, and Lucivar for quite some time. In fact, I think that I'm going to miss them...

This trilogy kept popping up on lists of books similar to others fantasy series with strong female characters that I've enjoyed. It has a reputation for being very dark, very complex, and heavy, so I kept putting it off until I had more time to really get into the world and storyline. When I finally turned to it, I found that the world building did not disappoint and for that reason, it's an entertaining read. However, there's no way around the fact that the storyline is rather predictable and therefore becomes dull (especially the third book). In fact, if the threads of sexual abuse/sadism weren't present, it could be any fantasy series. Many of the plot points in the third book begin to feel contrived (for instance, the obstacles keeping apart the romantic leads and SPOILERISH -- the concern that the inner circle would hate Daemon for his actions in the final quarter of the book).

The characters also start out fairly interesting, although many of the main characters (especially Jaenelle and Daemon) stay rather two-dimensional. The bad guys are all bad -- not to mention completely ineffective -- and the good guys are totally good. All in all, I'd recommend this for fans of fantasy with strong female characters, but don't expect it to become your favorite series if you appreciate character development.

I originally bought this book because I liked the cover and needed something with meat to it. I'm a fast reader, what can I say?! I didn't intend that this series would be anything but a distraction.

It made me a fan, and I can't say I'm sorry. I read the book in a week flat, couldn't put the thing down. Bishop has a way of portraying her characters to make them three-dimensional--something the reader cares about even long after the book has been put down.

I won't spend time summarizing the plot or the characters, since I always feel robbed if I accidentally read a spoiler hidden in a synopsis. I'll spare any future readers that much. I will recommend this book to lovers of sci-fi, fantasy, or even romance, since there are some adult themes. This book is irresistable, and I've got a sneaking suspicion that it won't rest on my bookshelf very long before I've got to pick it up again.

Any avid bibliophile knows about the unread pile sitting by her/his bedside waiting to be read. The Black Jewels trilogy was way down on the bottom of the pile, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

Lightning strikes again! The Black Jewels trilogy was one of those series that one doesn't want to end and makes a reader pester the author for more.

Having grown up in a fairly religious household, the character names and where much of the action took place really played with my head--and that's a good thing. This series forced me out of my comfort zone and to rethink my preconceived ideas about good and evil, masculine and feminine, especially when it comes to fantasy, where sometimes the whole good/evil dichomtomy becomes stale. It is NOT for everyone. The Black Jewels trilogy is DARK. It is violent, it is bloody and what befalls some of the characters is downright horrific. However, it is also hopeful and in some instances quite lighthearted.

Because of her skilled characterizations and the gripping (sometimes painful) narrative, the SaDiablo men--Saetan, Daemon and Lucivar--are not merely amazing, but even downright sexy. They are a different and refreshing take on the "alpha male". Yes, they are dominant and capable of great violence and greater passions, but they serve Queens with a deep code of honor that is constantly tested. They accept the powerful women in their lives as equals. What Daemon does in the final novel 'Queen of the Darkness' in order to buy time for Witch had me up several nights re-reading that part.

Ms. Bishop also skewers the notion of the peaceful matriarchal society by creating some of the cruelest female Witches ever written--Heketah and Dorothea SaDiablo. However, these women aren't just evil for the sake of being that way, it's how they amass such power over everyone that makes them so compelling and fiendishly nasty. You just know that they and those whom they've corrupted are eventually going to get theirs, but it's one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.

Men in this world live to serve as long as those whom they serve are worthy and treat them with respect. The idea of the jewels as conduits of powers was one that in the hands of a less skillful writer would have easily become just another trite plot device.

Jaenelle was a reminder as to what the power of Witch--the dream made flesh--should have been, rather than what it had become. She grows from her tragic childhood into a young woman with far more power than anyone had forseen, and the knowledge of what such power entails. Jaenelle's not Wonder Woman, and she makes mistakes along the path to her destiny. She's not perfect, and in spite of being so powerful finds that simple Craft tasks are beyond her. Jaenelle can do very bad things to those who get on her bad side, but she cannot cook.

Other characters are just as vivid--one of my favorites being Surreal, the Dea al Mon ex-courtesan/assassin with her own pain to bear and vengeance to take; and Karla, the young Queen of Glacia who isn't fazed by the SaDiablo males and who enjoys yanking their chains every once in a while. The non-human Kindred are just as fully fleshed out, especially the adorable and highly protective Ladvarian, as any of the human characters. Ms. Bishop doesn't scrimp and she makes it more than clear that an 800 pound Arcerian cat named Kaelas isn't just cute window dressing, but capable of inflicting some serious damage.

Here's the deal and another HUGE reason why the Black Jewels trilogy stands out--yes the heroes/heroines are powerful and yes they have the ability to wipe the floor (or in this case cleanse the realm) of all evil. But as it's said with great power comes great responsibility, and in this case even great sacrifice. Overall, the Black Jewels trilogy is about families--the ones we're born with and the ones we create. It's about love, loyalty, cruelty and revenge.

This series has done what I thought had almost become impossible--breathed new life into a genre that I enjoy, but also realize has become quite stale. This world was as intense, as bloody and as intriguing as any I've read thus far and I can only hope Ms. Bishop will return to it soon.

Wow. THE BLACK JEWELS TRILOGY by Anne Bishop is imaginative and utterly fascinating. The book is over 1,000 pages, which I read in 3 days. Actually, I couldn't tear myself away from the book, it was that engrossing. A fantasy based on Hell, THE BLACK JEWELS TRILOGY is set in a world similar to ours, except it is a warring matriarchal society ruled by witches, many of whom control men and other witches through sexual deviancy. There are three heroes in this book: Saetan (the dead father and mentor), Lucivar (the angry winged fighter and brother), and Daemon (the sadistic pleasure slave and lover). The heroine is Jaenelle Angelline, the abused young girl who grows up to be Witch, beloved and most powerful queen of all witches. The unconditional love that binds them together is touching, and makes you want to read more and more about these fascinating characters as they grow together and face war. Seriously, I don't think 1,000 pages is enough (!!!); I could have happily read more. The story, however, isn't for everyone: there is a lot of sexual torture in this book (not too graphic), as well as severe violence. I cried a couple times reading this, especially when it came to attacks on the Kindred. If you can handle the fact that a lot of characters die, you'll be okay. One other (good) thing I'd like to point out is while this book isn't a romance per say, it is rather romantic, with a delicious and frustrating love story as the major thread holding the trilogy together. PS. I just found out it does have a sequel (big fat yeah!!!) called DREAMS MADE FLESH.

Sigh....I have mixed feelings about this series. Anne Bishop has many good ideas here, including a truly original magic system (with the Jewels and the Blood). She has constructed many varied and interesting races, and has created a unique villain and method of threat. The idea that Dorothea and her Hayllians, as members of a race with millenia-long lifespans, are able to prepare the territories of the shorter-lived races for conquest by means of a "subtle cultural poisoning" that unfolds so slowly--over the course of centuries--that the shorter-lived races can't see what is happening until it's too late--is one that I found intensely interesting and convincing. The idea of the Abyss as the source of all power and life--and as such, the members of Bishop's land venerate Mother Night and the Darkness--was also intriguing, as was the idea that some of her intelligent animals could also be Blood. I found the character of Daemon Sadi, who has been waiting centuries for his prophesied lover, to be one of the most fascinating in the series. Like I said, this trilogy was chock-full of good ideas.

And yet...and yet...and yet...I felt that in the end, this trilogy ultimately failed to live up to its potential. For all the interesting trappings, this trilogy was essentially a Mary Sue adventure wrapped in a pretty cover. Her characters, even Sadi, all felt somehow not quite three-dimensional. I was unable to distinguish many members of Jaenelle's court from each other. The various territories also failed to stand out--there was Terreille, and Ebon Askavi, and Kaeleer, and uh.... At times the threats that faced Jaenelle just felt ludicrous and over-the-top--I never really "bought" the concept of Briarwood, for example--and it felt like characters such as Surreal and Titian and so on should be doing more, being more, than they were. It was intensely frustrating to me because, as I said previously, Anne Bishop does have *really good* ideas, but I felt that she simply lacked the skills to develop them to their full potential. Her reach exceeded her grasp. In some ways--and I know I stand alone on this--I preferred THE INVISIBLE RING to this trilogy, precisely because it is less ambitious--she sets her sights on a goal that is more within her abilities, and doing so, succeeds there where I feel she fails here.

I hope she continues writing in this world. Perhaps as she continues to explore this world and these ideas, and maybe gains more familiarity with it, her writing will gain the depth and substance that I feel it lacks now. Even if it doesn't, I would still not mind seeing more of it; the books aren't *bad,* just overly ambitious, and ambition is not always a bad thing, even if unrealized.

A very interesting fantasy series. The first book in the series (Daughter of the Blood) is by far the best.

What makes this trilogy interesting is the whole fantasy world that Anne Bishop constructs (a system of magic/witchcraft based on Jewels... basically the darker the Jewels the more powerful the witch) and a whole host of well integrated fantasy characters (unicorns, Eyriens, harpies, etc).

And the main characters are very interesting and complex as well (Lucivar, Saetan, Daemon, Janelle) my favorite being Daemon in the first book.

Now her comes my criticisms of the series... The first book was awesome, and especially how it revelled in the sadism of the Daemon character. But after the first book Daemon is pansified.

Moreover, the author has a hard time making her characters realistic in the sense that hero/heroines are always monolithically good and the villians are always monolithially bad.

The author also gets incredibly graphic, sensual and brutal some moments, and then practically censors the next sensual or brutal incident. Some consistency would be desirable.

It would also be nice to have an explanation of why it is that despite that fact that hero and heroines have so much power and the willingness to brutally use it, they still can't effectly deal with the villians in this series till the end of the third book.

All in all I would give the first book a 4, the second a 2.5 and the third a 3.

If you're looking for an incredible read that keeps you turning the pages voraciously, this is the trilogy to get! Ms. Bishop is a shining star in the world of fantasy and sci-fi. The characters and multi-level plotlines became more intriguing as the stories progressed, The world Ms. Bishop has created is so complete, one could seriosuly believe the author has some secret knowledge of it's true existence. I did find the first few chapters to be a bit confusing as there are so many rules and characters that are presented, but once you get through the beginning, everything flows, makes sense, and captivates the reader. There is a healthy mixture of suspense, adventure, love, and even aspects that are morbidly fascinating. In my humble opinion, you are not going to want this series to end and you'll be thinking of the story long after you've read the last page. I have high hopes for Ms. Bishop to write more stories that take place in the Jeweled realms. The author has written The Invisible Ring. It is a nice story that does take place in this world and you do see some familiar characters. However, it wasn't as riviting as the trilogy. Read the Black Jewels Trilogy. You'll be glad you did!

This has to be one of the most enthralling, wonderfully gripping reads I've ever come across. Anne Bishop truly has a gift, and it's displayed here at its best.

Her talent is for creating unique, fascinatingly dark worlds, and complex, interesting characters. As a longtime fan of fantasy, I can tell you it gets very tiring to see the same midieval, knights-and-castles settings, time and time again. Anne Bishop steers clear of that, crafting a unique, detailed world that will draw you in at once and refuse to let you go. Her books are wonderfully dark and sensual, although that certainly makes them not for the young or light-hearted--there is sex, violence, and other dark themes in abundance.

The brilliance of her characters is best demonstrated in Daemon Sadi. Between his sadism, refusal to harm children, and devotion towards Jaenelle, he's a wonderfully interesting character--and so complex it's sometimes difficult to tell whose side he's truly on. By the time the book is over, you genuinely care about her characters, and you want to see them emerge triumphant.

A warning, however. As already said, her books are both dark and sensual, and they have characters with names such as Saeten and Lucivar--something some readers might have objections to, although there don't seem to be any parallels between the characters and the origin of their names. I wouldn't recommend these for anyone under the of 13, or easily offended Christians.

I would, however, recommend them to anyone else. If you like fantasy, dark fantasy, horror, or romance, give them a try. You'll find yourself swept away to a world beyond your wildest dreams, caught up in an enthrallingly horrific story of love, with romance, action, comedy, and everything else you could possibly want in a book.

Although I enjoyed this trilogy, it left much to be desired. The main male character Daemon is a really good character. But I found myself wishing I could read about his life instead of all the other stuff in the book. The main female character is poorly characterized...I didn't really care that much about her. In fact, i liked her better in the first book when she was a child than when she grew up in the second and third books. Also, the second book of the series was very dissapointing and boring. Mostly because Daemon is hardly in it, and then because it was just boring. The third book was better though since Daemon came back and the plot moved forward. I guess you could say the only reason I liked the books at all was because of Daemon. There were many, many problems with the books:

1. The writing. It is very, very, very repetative. It was like, you just wanted to scream 'buy a thesaurus!!!' She wrote 'snarled' so many times it was like it showed up three times on every page. and i'm not exaggerating. And she used the phrase 'he/she said too softly' for almost every character! it does little to make the characters distinct.

2. The story. Besides Daemon the story is very corny at times. I mean there's a character named Saeton who lives in Hell. And while he's supposed to be threatening (i think?) there is never any evidence of this. He's like a grandpa, and not even an interesting grandpa. Also, the villains are very dissapointing. Sure...they're bad...but they're pretty much just stupid. And you begin to wonder why the good characters are even worrying about them at all. There is also a lot of tell and not as much show as there should be. Not very good for any book but esp one of this type. Also the love story leaves so much to be desired. The author goes into great detail when she's talking about seduction of other characters, as a side plot, but in the central love story she barely describes their first night together. Also Jaenelle and Daemon hardly have any relationship. They meet when she is a child, and it was the most interesting part of their whole relationship!

3. The World. The world is interesting, i'll give it that. But while the book claims over and over, there is no law against murder, because this is supposed to be a world of dark fantasy and the morals go with that, there is all this uproar over child molestation. What sense does that make? Either go with what you claim, that the morality is based in darkness, or don't claim it. There is also a lot left unexplained. What is the offering to the darkness? Why is there one? And I must have missed a lot of stuff on the SaDiablo family because suddenly there were these people who were related but I had no idea how? Also I thought there were more than three realms. The geography of the place needed to be explained more, esp since it is so integral to the main plot. ETC.

4. The Characters. Now, Daemon is one of my fave characters I've ever read about, up there with Lestat. But I think it may have more to do with my own imagination than with the book. The author says a lot about how he used to destroy whole courts and he's called the Sadist, but while we get to see certain glimpes of this, it is so not enough. I found myself wanting to read his backstory, but never getting it. Also his relationship with his half brother Lucivar was very confusing. The reader only gets the latest stuff about it, but nothing to back it up with, as a backstory would do. Lucivar himself was a nice character...in the beginning, but near the end he's changed into this sort of stereotype of a macho male. As are most of the other males. Jaenelle is disappointing when she grows up. She's just sort of quiet and alone alot, and we don't get to see why she's like this or get into her head hardly at all. Saetan is almost like a blank to me, I didn't see him as a person at all. And there are so many queens and warlord princes in the background I never really cared about any of them really.

Anyway, I would recommend this book for people who want an easy, fun read, esp if they like to find good new characters (Daemon). I did have a lot of fun with it despite it's many flaws. I guess it's kind of a guilty pleasure type read.

Anne Bishop's extraordinary "Black Jewels Trilogy" is one of the most original, truly spectacular reads I have had in a long time. I am not a big fan of science fiction or fantasy novels, but I became totally absorbed at the beginning of the first novel, "Daughter of the Blood," and remained riveted by Ms. Bishop's narrative until the last page of the thrilling conclusion in "Queen of the Darkness."
Ms. Bishop has created a unique world and populated it with some of the most unusual characters I have met in literature. This is a world where Darkness reigns and power is determined by the color of one's Jewels. In the hierarchy of the three Realms, Women of the Blood who wear Jewels are naturally dominant because of their innate magical powers. Blood Males who wear Jewels can also be extremely powerful, but they are born to serve their Queens. And magical strength is measured by a person's Jewels - the darker the Jewel's color, the more powerful the possessor.
Bishop paints a vivid portrait of two women in a terrible and vicious power struggle. Dorothea, the High Priestess of Hayll, and Hekatah, the self-proclaimed Dark Priestess of Hell, were created to be noble caretakers of the Realms. They have each perverted their Craft and their purpose, infected those who serve them, and threaten to destroy the Realms to fulfill their insatiable greed for power.
The plot revolves around a young woman whose birth fulfills an ancient prophecy. Jaenelle Angelline is born Witch. She is the "dream made flesh." By the age of five she is extremely powerful, fiercely loyal, tremendously tender and capable of terribly destructive anger. This young girl-child is also an outcast amongst her own people and has no idea who or what she is or will be. Most of her birth family, unable to appreciate her exceptional powers and abilities, believe she is mad and she is periodically put in an asylum where horrors are performed on the children who are inmates there. When she is not institutionalized, Jaenelle travels between Realms into different lands, befriending the creatures who live there - from her adopted father, Saetan the High Lord of Hell, to her adopted brother, Prince Lucivar Yaslana, and Warlord Prince Daemon Sadi, who will become more important to her than any living soul. Also included in her inner circle are the demon-dead, unicorns, harpies, Healers and Black Widow Queens, Kindred, etc.. They will all impart wisdom to her and teach her aspects of the Craft. They all have important roles to play in the trilogy.
The three books trace Jaenelle's life, her education in the Craft, her developing friendships, the terrible hardships she undergoes in her attempts to discover who and what she really is and her efforts to escape from the evil forces that threaten to destroy her. When Jaenelle finally reaches maturity, makes her Offering to the Darkness and becomes Queen of the Dark Court at Ebon Askavi in the Realm of Karleer, she is faced with Realms in chaos and the threat of terrible war and destruction. The Blood, corrupted by the wicked Priestesses must be cleansed. To do this and save everyone and everything she cares for, Jaenelle must make a terrible and shocking decision.

Anne Bishop's prose is beautifully crafted, deliciously rich and evocative. Her storytelling is nothing short of top-notch. The author upends the stereotype of Darkness and shows the reader, time and again, how exquisite the Dark can be. Her wry wit is ever present and the narrative is spellbinding. This series is outstanding and I cannot recommend it highly enough! An easy 5 Stars!
JANA

Anne Bishop's trilogy creates a dark and sinister world that pitches female against male and role reverses placing females into the positions of power. This book doesn't shy away from topics of sex, violence or the ugliest side of human emotions. A well crafted storyline and nicely designed world with characters (witches, demon-dead, warlords) you will hate and like, and some you will hate again. The only drawback of the story was the authors overuse of certain discriptive words such as snarl or snarling (really over 100 times), it seemed at times the only discription used. With that aside, overall the book was an enjoyable and disturbing read into the quest for love, the quest for power and how both can be ruthless and maddening.

I am seriously looking forward to the next series of books. I don't recommend this book to those who have week stomach and cannot take graphic violence. I really enjoy the the twist and turns because you were always kept off guard with what would happen next. Also. so many people that were main characters dies it was another surprising turn of events.

This trilogy is amazing, addicting, and fascinating. You never want it to end. I connected with the characters and thought of them as my friends. Their wishes become my own. That's great since I usually root for the villain. It's obvious from the first chapter why this trilogy is award winning. I loved this book so much I started drawing sketches of the characters. Talk about being obsessed!! Jaenelle Angelline is Witch, dreams made into flesh. She is the most powerful witch ever born and ever will be born. She has to be raised carefully so that she does not become evil. This book is about her life from childhood to adulthood her friends, and her enemies. Any person that reads fantasy should not miss this Jewel.

I loved these books. Some of the short stories were hit and miss but the 3 main novels are some of the best things I've ever read. Wow. The characters feel like old friends and when the last book ends, there is always a mini grieving process, no matter if it's the first or 15th time I've read them. I won't bother describing the plot, just buy this and read it.

Oh, I think is my very favorite fantasy series - if not my very favorite set of books altogether! I just love it so much! It still makes me laugh and cry even after all these years of re-reading it! It is such a darkly beautiful story. And I am looking forward to the newest addition, though I have a bit more re-reading to do before I will be reading that! As for this omnibus edition itself, this was my first time reading it here and I must say, it had one major plus of containing the whole trilogy in one place. But, that one place made for a rather awkward and heavy volume that was rather uncomfortable to carry around or curl up with. I think that my mass market copies are superior for comfort, though I am not sure how many more re-readings they can make it through!

When I began the first installment, Daughter of the Blood, I was less than impressed. I struggled at first understanding the multilayered hierarchy of Bishop's Realms. If you feel overwhelmed by the rankings (Warlord, Prince, Warlord Prince etc.) or the jewels, or maybe the differences in demon-dead and regular dead, perservere! Suddenly, maybe a third of the way through the novel, everything clicked and I was engrossed in lovable and frightening characters.
I was near the end of Daughter of the Blood when I realized I had yet to secure the next two novels. I usually depend on my public library, but my entire county didn't carry the rest of the trilogy! I ordered this lovely collection, and waited about two days between finishing the first novel and receiving my new book.
I really reccommend this giant installment, its nice to have all three books together, and its not too unwieldy. I think the cover is beautiful. Take it from a closet fantasy novel addict, this is one of the greats, with characters you wish you could hang out with!
But- its not for the faint of heart, or for young readers. There is a reason it is described as "dark fantasy". I skipped a passage in Daughter of the Blood that was a little too wince-worthy, and I usually have nerves of steel. Very sensual, very dark. Some cringe inducing violence. Not for a thirteen year old, in my opinion. One reading will have you hooked!

True, the Black Jewels Trilogy is a very dark fantasy trilogy with a hint of bondage. Especially the first book has a violent theme. People are being hurt, abused, whipped and even raped. But somehow this magnificent writer succeeds despite these scenes of horror to make it a story about hope, of doing the right thing, and most of all about love. Fatherly love, brotherly love and the love between a man and a woman. It is just wonderful.

The characters are fun, warm, scary and lovable all at the same time and impossible to forget once you get to know them. The trilogy as a whole gives you an equal amount of tragedy, love, hurt and laughter. A painful but pleasurable read. It is not a book for children and neither for the squeamish readers. But I will recommend them to any one else.

In my opinion. this trilogy as well as the sequel "Dreams Made Flesh" are the best fantasy books I have ever read and I look thoroughly forward to reading the next book in the series which is scheduled for release in 2008.

And a note about the names of the characters: Saetan, Daemon, Lucivar. Do not be fooled or scared. Remember there is also a Lady Angelline - in other words, these books are not, I repeat NOT about worshipping the devil. The names just give it all a twist.

Read the books - and make sure to buy them as well as they are the sort of books that you will want to reread every once in a while.

This book was absolutely wonderful. This is a trilogy that is best bought together, because it is one of those that you HAVE to finish the entire trilogy. The story is put together well, the descriptions are excellent, and the characters are the kind that you feel like you actually know by the end. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a new author to read, and I would recommend any book written by Anne Bishop, as I have read them all. Just make sure you set some time away to read the entire thing!

For the more mature readers - there's nothing really graphic, but I would have a hard time applying a rating to them (PG, PG-13, R... can't decide). The magic wielder's power is tied to the color of the jewel they wear. And it's a world where Sataan is a father figure. Definitely worth the price! I re-read these constantly (I alternate between this an Harry Potter!)

One thing that any reader needs to leave at the door when reading these (or in my opinion, almost anything in this genre) is the notion that HUGE age differences matter, in the case of the Queen here and her "mate" there are thousands of years between them - and he even meets her when she is a young girl (no pedophilia, but again, definitely a big gap between them). And it's great to see a female lead/hero in this genre too - someone who doesn't need to be "saved" but saves others. Love Ms Bishop's stuff. And the collateral stories are very good too!

What I will always love about the Black Jewels books is their originality. None of the traditional fantasy races and plots, i.e. someone starting out as a peasant and slowly discovering they have the power, and then becoming a superhero. This world is unique and stands on its own. The "craft" is also pretty unique, but you have to be careful not to try to over-analyze it all. Psychic shields. Sight shields. Physical shields. Seduction tendrils. Someone can "vanish" a dagger or a suitcase and sort of call 'em back in whever they want. But you won't get a long description of where things go when they're vanished. There's a few things like that which go unexplained, and it works better that way. It's part of this world, that's just the way it works. Dive in and don't pick it apart. Let the imagination take over and enjoy. I couldn't put the stuff down once I got past the funky character names. I will admit, at first I saw these main characters coming at me like "Saetan" and "Daemon" and "Lucivar" and it kind of took a little getting used to, but once you get a little more into it they develop their own feel and the names no longer matter.

I couldn't quite give the trilogy 5 stars though. I picked the books up again about 2 years later and read them again, and they weren't quite as juicy the second time. Like a few other people, I started to get turned off by all the "frozen mask" expressions and snarls, and how every sentence anyone says has to come with descriptions of that person's facial expressions that really aren't completely plausible, like golden warm eyes turning pale yellow right after someone says one more thing. Anything anyone says causes someone else to have some kind of facial reaction or a snarl, or to freeze solid with terror or anger. That gets tiring after a while. I understand why you would use it, because it helps to convey the sense that when you're dealing with the Blood, you're not dealing with humans. They are much more than human, so their expressions and demeanors have to be capable of much more along with it I guess. I'm glad she wrote the sequel book of short stories to wrap up the question of whether or not Jaenelle and Daemon get a happily ever after. Get it along with this main trilogy and pick it up right after you put this down.

I really enjoyed the first book "Daughter of the Blood." Anne Bishop introduces an interesting world of intrigue, magic and eroticism. The character development starts out really well. I fell in love with all three main male characters Lucivar, Daemon and Saetan. I like the humor and wit. The idea of a matriarchal is society rather refreshing.
And I found the emotional conflict between the little witch girl Jaenelle and her dysfunctional family very compelling.
After reading this book I felt as if I have finally found a new series I could fall in love with.

The second book left me a bit disappointed. The main bad villains of the story are completely incompetent. Hekatah's and Dorothea's feeble attempts to seize power are almost laughable. I felt no great sense of peril for the main characters, making the overall plot a bit boring and uninspiring. The only thing that really kept me reading was Lucivar. If it wasn't for him, I would have given up after the first couple of chapters. Can't take much more of the "hair fluffing."

The third book was a disaster, but yet I still kept reading. The most disappointing thing about this book is how Daemon's character develops. He becomes a shadow of his former self. A totally whiny pussy. What happened to the notorious sadist?
Some of the most annoying things are the repetitiveness of the words and phrases used. "Snarling", "Haunted Sapphire Eyes", "Everything has a price" and "that midnight voice" are just some of the phrases that almost made me destroy the book.
Jaenelle is an utter disappointment. There is nothing queenly or inspiring about her. She was quite boring. Surreal would have been a more interesting witch in my opinion.

I gave it 3 stars because, despite all the flaws, the plot kept me entertained for some strange reason.

Throughout all three of these books, I found myself constantly wishing that the storyline would follow anyone other than the main characters. Don't get me wrong! Bishop's prose and her descriptions of the world of the Blood are beautiful, yet the characters inhabbiting it fall flat.

They had little to work with in terms of a creative plot, of course, which is quite sad for a world that had a lot of potential. There was never a moment when I felt the main characters were in danger; when the sides are set up as the High Lord Saetan, his two immensely strong sons- the irresistable Daemon and the wolfish Lucivar- along with the foretold witch Jaenelle, who has more power than those three put together, AGAINST two greedy, trite hags who show no sense of maturity or sense, then it's easy to see how the tension might be lost.

Jaenelle comes across as flawless, benevolent, popular, and humble, without ever a moment of perhaps haughtiness over her incredible powers. Witch, the entity deep within Jaenelle's consious, might have been more interesting to read about, but she's hardly given the limelight. The insufferable Daemon, too, never has a moment in which he's put in his place; instead, he's always right. I just found myself completely detached from ever caring about these flat, boring characters- or their group of highly powerful friends who are merely listed off as being Jaenelle's fan group and then never given personalities.

The books are redeemed, somewhat, by what an intriguing world it is that Bishop's created: I wanted to hear more about the Spider Dream Weavers, or the island of children, or more about the jewel caste system established in this society. There is never a clear explaination of it; Bishop more expects you to pick it up as you go along. Yet it would have been nice to have some chapters with lighter-jewel characters who then might be in danger for their lives. Thank goodness for Surreal- she was the one character in the books who was likeable, amusing, and relatable.

All in all, though different from your usual fantasy in the fact that it features some of the darker entities of fantasy as its protagonists, THE BLACK JEWELS TRILOGY was only average in actually executing a unique and deep storyline. Smart, powerful villains were desperately needed.

If you're tired of elves, dwarves and dragons, you must try this series. I found Bishop's world and characters to be some of the most intriguingly crafted that I've read. And you might as well buy the compendium edition, because you'll be aggravated if you have to wait to get the second book; the first book is a cliff-hanger.

The trilogy is not high literature, but it is replete with compelling characters, true humor, and a world and premise that will capture your imagination.

It is also sexy in an often dark way--not to the extent of Carey's Kushiel series but, if you loathed that, you might find yourself disturbed.

Very high recommendation!

A collection that touches everyone who reads it. A story of devotion to a person that moves you to be greater than yourself. Of men in such awe of their queen that they will stand as her warrior no matter what the risk. Of women so strong that they will stand against society to protect the men they love. A story about abuse, magic, tragedy, and success. I would recommend this book to almost anyone but a small warning.

This book takes place in a world divided. Where the powerful magic seeded within the female of the societed can either be protected and nurtured- or destroyed...through rape. It is INDEED gruesome but worth it, every page. Just not a book for the youthful.

I was truely astonished at how good these books were. I had been recommended by someone I knew online. Parents, these had definite adult content... anyone else, I would recommend these to anyone.

It's about a powerful young girl who goes through such horror and terror that she constantly struggles, not only against others, but with herself.

It's also about the men who love her. A father, a brother, a lover. You really FEEL for each of these characters as the story progresses, and although the future looks bleak, you continue to hope for each of them.

The tale is also about power and the misuse of it. But it's mainly about the main characters. The worldbuilding is right on, but you stay involved because of Jaenelle, Daemon, Saetan and Lucifer.

If you are a fantasy fan, pick one up.. it's come highly recommended! ;)

The heroes are powerful, sensual, and almost eternal. The heroine is stronger than anyone knows, including herself. The villains are cruel and sadistically complete in their torture. Ironically the heroes and heroine are considered insane and evil in the extreme. The villains have labeled themselves as the epitome of good. It's not so different from the real world but it's a view of the world that some people don't want to admit to.

This psychologically tumultuous series is a deep read that all cynics should love. If you've ever been called evil when you've done something good, then your heart will feel it's found a home in this series. Take on the warped perspective of the under-appreciated intelligence.

The Black Jewels Trilogy is a puzzling paradox: full of sound and fury, and yet the apocalypse signifies little.

The writing is an odd mix of trying to be dark and black and sepulchural, but that language, along with the brutality of the Blood, never gets a reasonable counterbalance. There are Queens upon Queens upon Queens... yet we never see a vignette of a Queen doing her job well, as a contrast to the corruption that underlies the entire Blood structure. The Blood are supposed to be caretakers of the land and the landens... and yet the landens hardly make an appearance, so the reader never gets a sense of what that relationship is like. Nearly everyone that the main characters deal with is a Prince or a Queen or a Warlord or some permutation thereof, or else that minor character is a one-note caricature. Bishop creates some interesting concepts, but the exposition needed to make those concepts come to life is left out: how does one catch a Wind, for example? Instead, there are pages devoted to being a "snarly male" and what amounts to a great deal of posturing with ultimately no resolution besides vamping around and glowering, with gory bloodletting as the author wishes.

Our heroine, Jaenelle, is dreams-made-flesh, the Blood's own Witch, and (sadly) a Mary Sue. All the good guys who see her love her immediately; she quickly makes friends of all the other characters we're supposed to like, she has Unbelieveable Cosmic Powers and thirteen uncut Black Jewels; she has "haunted sapphire eyes," she has her own brand of ultra-black Jewel. She is best friends with the Unicorns and Tigers and Spiders and Scelties and Dragons. She is able to provoke a "response" in Daemon Sadi (look! it's "Demon" with an "ae" in it! how witty!) when no other female can do so in thousands of years. Couldn't we have seen a flaw in Jaenelle that didn't involve her propensity to completely overextend herself in the service of others?

The overarching premise of a corrupt system waiting for a messiah to come and reform it is workable, and there are some good moments in the series - one that springs to mind is the scene between Witch and her grandmother Alexandra, when Alexandra rejects the very savior she wished for. Ultimately, the world ends... but this reader was left unaffected.

Being a fantasy novel this can get rather complex with all the different worlds and races but fear not, Mrs. Bishop does a WONDERFUL job of explaining as she goes along. She doesn't spoon feed you details but she weaves them intricately in the story and, soon enough, you'll feel like you know everyone and anyone that ever lived in this place.

The very basic break down of the plot is as follows. There is a world made up of three Realms and each Realm is divided into Territories, which are ruled by their respective Queens. In this world, women are the rulers and men are their guardians, second in command, etc. The Jewels they were born with divide people and, as they make the Offering to the Darkness, by the Jewels they then acquire. The Darkness is the good power, not the evil one. The lighter the jewel, the less power the person has. Black is the most powerful and only a handful of people have ever had this Jewel after they made the Offering. None have been actually been born a Black. Until now.

A long time before our story beings, a witch had a vision that one day the Queen will come that will have the power to unite the warring territories. She will be a born Black Queen with more power than anyone has ever seen. She will be the living embodiment of the dreams of those who have throughout the centuries hoped for a fair and just Queen to rule them all. She is thus called the Dream Made Flesh. The trilogy is the story if this Queen, Janelle, and we follow her from the time she is barely 7 to the time she comes into full power and the final full-scale war breaks out.

I could go into more plot details but this booked is packed with so much we would be here forever so I will just insert what is needed as I review. Also, as I am aware that most readers that wander into this blog are primarily Romance readers, I will point out a few things that may help those who've never read Fantasy.

The first and most important thing to remember is that this is a Fantasy book that has romance, and not the other way around. As such, you will see a lot of things that may not be expected in the Romance genre. In spite of this I strongly believe that Romance lovers will absolutely enjoy this book.

Second of all, you must keep in mind that none of the races are human as this takes place in another Universe. Some of their behavior towards children, etc may, at first, rub you the wrong way. Keep an open mind and don't try to read between the lines. Bishop is very clear and, when she means incest, she will say it out loud. No, none of the good guys think having sex with a minor is a good idea, in fact, they are repulsed by this but they do have strong feelings for Jaenelle even as a small child because it is the Dark power in her that is calling to the power in them. The males protect and serve their Queen with almost blind devotion and this is explained thoroughly enough that you can understand the difference between them loving their future Queen and them being in love with a child.

Third thing to keep in mind, and rather important for those that may have never read anything but Romance, this book is dark. This is nothing out of the ordinary, unless you've never read Fantasy before and therefore I am warning you. People die and are killed in more ways than one, children are abused, slaves are tortured, sex is used to break people and things WILL get dark and gloomy. Do NOT let any of this stop you reading this book. Bishop doesn't hold back but she presents it all in a way that doesn't scream cheap horror. Maybe someone else would have come off as simply trying to shock the readers to give the book more umph but Anne knows exactly what she is doing. Some of the characters have too much power and all this is necessary to bring them down to our level and to make the struggles more real. Without the darkness the rest of the story, the way the characters were shaped, the actions they take, and just about the entire thing wouldn't be believable. Not for one minute do you doubt that these people are in danger, that the balance of power can shift at any moment and, most important, that anyone can die.

If a book doesn't keep you on the edge on your seat and truly makes you wonder if any of the good guys will survive then it's not a good book at all. There would be no need to read a book like this if you could tell, at every turn, what would happen. Fantasy books thrive on suspense. They revolve around quests or wars against races, etc. The writer HAS to keep the reader hooked on the story, caring about the characters yet not being able to determine who wins or lose. Mrs Bishop does one hell of a good job with this. People will die that you wish wouldn't have but this is exactly what happens in a war and it helps keep the book and characters real. Unlike in Romance or other genres, the fantasy genre has no rules as the writer creates the races and universe they inhabit. Without trying for some realism there would be no way for readers to know the dangers the characters are in and, no suspense and no tension mean no reader interest. You don't want to read a story where nothing ever happens now do you?

These are just warnings but they should not stop anyone from reading this. I can't stress it enough just how damn wonderful this book is. Bishop has an incredible way with words. She paints this picture for you and you can clearly see everything that goes on, feel everything these people feel. Her characters are nothing short of amazing, every single one of them. With so many races, so many characters, and so many things going one you'd think at some point Mrs. Bishop will lose track of something. I didn't find one thing, character or scene out of place or blown out of proportion. Everything was as it should have been.

The characters are some of the best I've ever read. Every single one of them. The villains are truly evil and thus make the danger feel real. Jaenelle is presented, from the get go, as an all powerful being so you think it would be hard to care for her if nothing can threaten her. Bishop quickly makes you forget about this. She is a strong woman yet she never comes of as having a Xena complex or thinking she is above everyone else. Far from it. Daemon is one very tortured soul if I've ever seen one. Forget anyone you've ever read about. THIS man was tortured. For centuries. He is cool, can be ruthless yet the love he has for Jaenelle is nothing short of sweet and so damn intense it will tear your heart out at times.

I must say that, for a fantasy novel, this book is pretty strong in the romance department as the love between the main characters is a VERY omportant part of the plot (for various reasons I cannot give away so as not to give too much of the story). Suffice it to say Romance readers will NOT be dissapointed in the least bit. I dare say this romance rivals some of the best I've read to date.

I've followed this series religiously since the author was still writing book #2; better than Harry Potter the characters have a depth to them and a relentless, seductive, dangerous beauty. This trilogy can be read again and again with the same enjoyment as the first time. I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with the characters, over and over again. From the moment you open the first page, you just can't put it down.

I could not put this dark fantastic trilogy down. Captured on page one; I was extremely glad I had all three books in one complete story line. Anne Bishop has become a new favorite, she created Queendoms steeped in malovent power vs compassionate power, magic jewels, hope, dispair, family dynamics, and love. Absloute Power, Death and Hell take on new meanings in this world ruled by 'Mother Night' and her 'Consort'. WOW...I just recieved books 3(Invisible Ring), 4(Dreams Made Flesh), & 5(Tangled Webs) of Anne Bishop's 'Black Jewel Series'; and, get to reimmerse myself in the lives of the people of the jewels. I would like to complete up this review by highly recommending reading the following Kim Harrison humor seeped dark fantasy series...start a new favorite story line with Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1) and,[[ASIN:0061567310 The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows, Book 2). I loved living in 'The Hollows' through six of Kim Harrison's books.

After a much needed hiatus from multi-book serials, I was finally ready to delve back into the fiction-fantasy realm. The Black Jewels trilogy had sat in my TBR pile for quite some time and upon the urging of a friend I finally started this trilogy.

I started out apprehensive but intrigued with the fantasy premise of jewels denoting a person's birthright. But by the time I pushed through the end of the trilogy, I knew I was done with this trilogy and with Anne Bishop.

In the first book, it seemed that Bishop had written a provocative, dark fantasy series. The plot began with an interesting premise wherein it's the female who rules supreme. In this world, the magic revolves around the Black Jewels, the darker jewel being the most powerful. Each person is born with a birthright jewel that ranges from white to black and that jewel is a container their power; a person can obtain a darker jewel after making an offering to the darkness.

At first,this appeared to seque into a great set up winthin a fascinating world wherein the interaction between the caste system and the magical jewel power created a complex social system.

However, as the story and characters unfolded, the plot devolved into a world of explicit violence, rape, torture, and illicit sex. I did like the build up to the main protagonists - Jaenelle, Saetan, Daemon, and Lucivar but I never loved any of them or really related to them as vibrant or heroic chatacters.

I would not classify the Black Jewels trilogy as a dark fantasy in any way. It's merely overly ambitious plotline that assaults the reader with gratuitous sexual violence, sadistic pedophiles, cartoonishly evil villains/villainesses, brutal child rapes, incest, graphic torture and castrations. Why do female writers, when attempting to write fantasy, presume that piling on gore, sexual assault, and violence makes their work seem "dark" or" "edgy." While the subject matter is dark, violent, and twisted, this does not a dark fantasy make. Nasty and bloody throughout, nothing positive eminates from this plot ofr its characters.

Overall, the world Bishop world has created is not a place I would want to ever live in or re-visit and I'm content to end my journey with the series at this trlogy.

The Black Jewels Trilogy is a fantastic read that captures the reader and doesn't let go till the last word. The characters are brilliantly designed and they suck you into their world. In realms which The Blood are the People with magic, their strength determined by their jewels and title. Three Warlod Princes, all very powerful, come together in this epic tale where love and danger meld together and honouring the ways of the blood is all but lost, these three are different from the corrupt people of Terrielle, they honour the ways of the blood.
There is a hope for the Blood, "there is one who is dreams made flesh, she is not just any witch, but Witch". She will be more powerful and terrifying than any who has come before her. Though she is fragile and already she is beginning to fall apart.
Throughout the trilogy each character changes and grows. This book will make you cry and laugh out loud. Anne bishop truly knows how to express human emotion in a world that is severly lacking.

The Black Jewels Trilogy is one of the most fascinating and spellbinding fantasy series I have ever read. Most important, readers must read this trilogy in its entirety in order to fully appreciate it. In this novel, Anne Bishop creates a supernatural matriarchal society controlled by witches and portrays an interesting view of male and female roles in this type of environment. The story centers around a young girl, Jaenelle, thought to be a living myth who would restore a culture being lost during a time of corruption. The series portrays Jaenelle's development from witch to queen from the perspective of three males who would play an important part in her life. Not for the squeamish, Bishop generates a very dark, sad, and disturbing mood filled with horror, sex, and violence...but she does such a great job with character development that the reader begins to empathize with the characters and appreciate their quest for happiness in this dark world. This novel has everything-action, romance, drama, comedy. I gave the Black Jewels Trilogy 5 stars because (for me) it was a fantastic read - I was unenable to tear myself away from the book and I became so engrossed with the characters, I was literally sad to read the last page.

Things I loved about the Black Jewels Trilogy:
-Interesting new ideas and twists on old cliches
-The characters
-The way the plot built up and the story was told

Flaws in the Black Jewels Trilogy:
-Jaenelle was way too perfect, too powerful
-I wasn't really sold on how Daemon fell in love with Jaenelle; no one just picks someone that they are going to love. I think he just fell in love with the idea of "Dreams Made Flesh," but not her.
-The villains were not worthy adversaries, at all. They had poor motives and they were terribly unequally matched with our heroes, making them seem foolish and reading their empty schemes a waste of time.

All round great book about a young girls life from her cruel upbringing to her crisis packed adulthood, never a dull moment.

The way the book moves through the four main characters lives is brilliant you cant help but cringe at all four of there tragic pasts and smile at there moments of happiness and strength.

By the end of the book you feel like you know janelle as your own daughter and you understand why everyone wants to protect her with all the strength they have in them.

Daemon, Saeton and Lucivar are great characters powerful, angry and yet very weak at times.

No book is perfect and at times i found it convenient how easy people will distrust each other or peoples honor will prevent them from killing dangerous enemies, though the plot must go on so this is easily forgivable.

Also alas what other readers are saying is true the word snarl or snarled appeared as often as the word 'the' in the book but if thats enough reason to turn you off a quality book then it is your loss.

I loved this trilogy. There are other sequels out there now, and they're okay, but this trilogy is some seriously great reading! I only wish the other sequels were as good. If you like dragons, magic, love and justice, you will like this trilogy.

I was very skeptical about these books. A friend of mine recommended them to me and even though its not something I normally read I gave them a try.
It took me a little while to get my head around the story, but after a couple chapters I was hooked! Anne Bishop has amazing way of keeping the story interesting and addicting.

I recently stumbled onto this particular genre. And I can't believe how lucky I am. Where have I been all my life? It's fun. It's fantastic. It's absolutely amazing to me that someone can create an entire reality like this.

Anyway. I read this particular book from cover to cover and then, for the first time in my life, I turned right back to page 1 and started over. It is that good.

This trilogy was recommended to me because I tend to enjoy strong female characters....it was recommended to me as a proponent of feminisim and quirky role reversal.

As I said...it falls short.

I found nothing in it to be feminist minded nor any quirky role reversal.

I've read better fan fiction offerings.

It was cross of Anne Rice kinky sex flavor and Laurell K. Hamilton...with out the gay sex overtone (and the actual feminist tone of LKH)- with a chunk of wild fantasy thrown in.

The lead female character is a typical 'perfect' Mary Sue. In fact, she is the epitome of Mary Sue. She is perfect, beautiful, everyone loves her and she, of course, saves the world. Of for darn sake, can't she at least be a little chunky or something?

She suffers neglect and abuse as a child, so I suppose that is supposed to make her likable.

The premise is that it is matriarchal society and that women rule. Bah. Mostly they have sex with men whom they put torture devices on their gentitals. Supposedly women have all political power...yet there seem to be plenty of powerful males that take advantage too.

Even under female rule there are whorehouses where men can pay to sleep with women.

Ah...okay.

Where were the warrioress'? Where were the men being seduced and left pregnant?

The plot was full of holes and the trilogy could have been written in one book if a good editor took it in hand.

Let's just mention that the lead male character, a grown man, falls in love with the female character when she is a child. He gets a hard on for a little girl, I kid you not.

So the author makes him go insane for 13 years so the kid can grow up.

Let's also mention that the lead male and his brother are so powerful that they can basically 'blow up' people's minds at will. The lead male also can seduce women at will. Yet they spend centuries with with lo-jacks on their gentitals as sex slaves.....

The lead male character, pedophilia aside, could have been a wonderful complex character had the author not made so many side trips. By the time he meets his grown up love, he's reduced to staring with longing. Neither really spend any time getting to know each other. They are named soulmates by the author from the beginning, so I guess she decided it was okay for them to have a little awkwardness and then hit the sack.

The mentor figure is male. Where is the strong female character?

The author has a wonderful imaginination in creating the fantasy world. That's about all I can say that is nice.

These books were amazing! I bought them in June and finished all three in one week! I just re-read them again a few weeks ago and I can't tell you enough how much I loved them! And after you read these I highly suggest you read Dreams Made Flesh. Ties in alot of short stories to the three main books. In my opinion, even if you don't like sci-fi or fantasy (which I don't), these books are a great read!!!!