Book 5), Dreams Made Flesh (Black Jewels

This book contains three different stories. The first story explains how Daemonar and Marian, (Lucivar's son and wife) were involved in his life and their appearance in the Main First three books.
The second story reveals more about Saetan and his past which is interesting. It also reveals what Zuulumaan is and why he refused to tell his son, Lucivar, telling him to ask Andulvar. Zuulumaan helps fill in the gap in which Lucivar asks for the story of Zuulumaan in exchange for helping Karla through her virgin night.
Then the last story explains the aftermath of the war and it just beautifully written. The love between Jaenelle and Daemon becomes more and more intersting.
I loved it and I'm a fan of the Black Jewels. If you want more, then this is a good book to read after the first three.

"The Prince of Ebon Rih". Since his return from the sadistic court in Terreille, warlord Prince of the Blood Lucivar wants nothing to do with women. His sister Jaenelle prevents the rape of a hearth witch by five aristos; then tells the woman that she will be Lucivar's new housekeeper. When Lucivar realizes he has feelings for Marian, he woos her but his mother wants him to marry an aristo and will do whatever is necessary to end this relationship. This absolutely riveting romantic fantasy will appeal to readers of both genres.

"Zuulamam". Saetan's wife is pregnant and asks him to help her family out of their financial difficulties. When he refuses, she goes to Zuulamam where she pretends to be a hostage to get what she wants. She and the Zulamam do something horrific that pushes the Lord of Hell into a killing rage. This short story is a great character study that shows the many different faces of Saetan.

"Kaeleer's Heart". To save the realm of Kaeleer against its enemies, the witch Jaenelle with her lover Daemon worked their magic; Jaenette almost died. When she came out of the healing webs, Daemon worried that she no longer loved him just as she feared that she changed too much fro Daemon to love her anymore. A witch of the Blood who covets Daemon tries to break the lovers up. Daemon, more powerful than his father Saetan, unleashes his wrath on the realm seeking the person responsible for the attempts on Jaenette's life. This is a beautiful adult fairy tale.

These three novellas and the very short story " Weaver of Dreams" are exciting, entertaining and exotic tales in the "Black Jewels" Universe.

Harriet Klausner

I was excited when I heard that Bishop was putting out another book to fill in the gaps from her Black Jewels trilogy. Once I sat down to read it, though, I regretted paying full price for it.

The first story, Weaver of Dreams, was a literary exercise that I definitely appreciated. The following story, The Prince of Ebon Rih, was an utter disappointment. Aside from clashing with the description and mechanics of the rut we got in The Invisible Ring (three days versus one, not being able to remember what happened versus remembering everything, etc.) the entire plot felt forced, as if Bishop had a few touchstones to hit and just crammed in random scenes around them. Marian pops up and Lucivar immediately wants her. Lucivar goes into rut and runs to chase Marian out of the house rather than hunt down Jaenelle, who can control him. Time passes without the reader being aware of it, and before you know it what initially reads like a morning's worth of work is shown a few pages later to have been a few days' worth.

As for villains, Roxie comes off as an incredibly flat character, defined only by "I want to do Lucivar!" Likewise, Luthvian is shallow and petty in a way that doesn't seem remotely reasonable in relation to how Jaenelle trusts her. Jaenelle was the one whose ability to instantly judge people kept them in or out of Kaeleer, remember? All and all, we barely get to see Lucivar and Marian become closer--they basically hop from instant attraction into bed, with a few moments of interaction and a few instances of manhandling by Saetan and Jaenelle in between. And the bit with Karla suddenly being a lesbian? Completely unnecessary. I came away from that section with the feeling that Bishop had made Karla suddenly and ultimately not interested in guys because there wasn't another First Circle guy to pair her with.

Zuulaman was better in the characterization department, setting Hekatah up as unmercifully greedy and selfish and giving Saetan the background needed to make his actions in Queen of the Darkness more reasonable. Finally, Kaeleer's Heart brings something like the snap and sparkle of the first few novels, even though the bad guys are once again paper-flat. Lektra's obsessed enough with Daemon to ignore that he's with the woman who saved the Realms, and Roxie is there . . . for the ride?

I enjoyed the first, third, and last stories out of this book. The Prince of Ebon Rih was what dragged things down for me, though the mechanics of Kaeleer's Heart were also troublesome. I know Bishop can do better than this. I just hope that next time, she gets someone to give her solid criticism before the book gets published.

This book reminded me of the 'stuff' you get when you buy a movie on DVD; outtakes, interviews, background, technical details. The stories are not strong enough to stand on their own as stories, but I did kind of enjoy reading it because I like the characters so much. The two longer stories are pretty much just silly romance stuff. Fluffy. The first story is very cool and not at all like the rest of the book, but it's only a few pages long.

I think that for me the strength of the Black Jewels trilogy came from the wonderful character development and the sense that the Realms really exist, and it takes a LONG story to accomplish this. The short stories in "Dreams Made Flesh" do not appeal to me in the same way; they are superficial descriptions of less intense situations, and don't have the power of the trilogy.

I really loved the Black Jewels Trilogy and was anxious to read Dreams Made Flesh, the follow up. It's interesting that the book is separated into parts. The first taking place after Heir to the Shadows, the second taking place before all three parts of the trilogy, and the last taking place after all three. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because I just did not like the way the last story in the book (Kaleer's Heart) took place. I would have liked Janelle's story to end much differently. I feel that she really should have retained all her power. I just don't like that she was less than she was when we first began reading of her journey.

I have only been waiting forever for Anne Bishop to return to the world of the Black Jewels. I remember vividly reading the first 3 books. I lost an entire weekend. I started reading on a Friday, and did not surface until sometime Monday. The only problem was when I was finished, I was still hungry for MORE!!!! Now the wait is over. Short stories, long stories or poetry, I do not care, just give me MORE!!!

Anne Bishop does not let her Black Jewels fans' down. Once again she draws the reader into this dark seductive world and never lets them go until the final page is turned. The only problem is that I am terrified THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE!!!!!

For readers already familar with Anne Bishop and the Black Jewels, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE! If you have not read any of her Black Jewels, start with the first one in the Trilogy and end with this new one.

In these stories, we're provided with a more satisfying ending to the Black Jewels saga as well as 3 short stories that answer some lingering questions about the protagonists. If you can't let go of questions like 'Why did Saetan let his sons go without a fight?' and 'Where did Marian come from?', Ms. Bishop has mercifully decided to tie up those and more loose ends.

Anne Bishop, after giving us the Tir Alainn trilogy, has gone back to her award-winning, besteselling roots of the Black Jewels realms. This novel, a collection of four short stories, gives insight into different events that have influenced the events that take place in the Black Jewels trilogy, as well as what occurs afterwards. The book is well written and much like her original trilogy, although the stories told are unimpressive and seem more like a cashing-in on the series than explaining things more in-depth. These stories can be appreciated if you are an adamant fan of the Black Jewels series, but are otherwise lackluster. The stories are written with the expectation that the reader is strongly familiar with the Black Jewels trilogy, so if it has been a while since you have read the originals (like me), it may benefit you to reacquaint yourself with the original story, characters, and Realms, otherwise you will be lost. An overall fun, quick read, but not vital to knowing the secrets behind the Black Jewels trilogy.

Thank you, Ms. Bishop, for writing four wonderful stories that answered so many questions that were left unanswered after the Trilogy and Invisible Ring! I especially enjoyed the backstory for Lucivar and Marian! I laughed and cried and really did want to poke Luthvian in the eye for being such a heinous beast without regard to anyone other than herself.

I loved the Blood Jewel realm from Bishop's early books and was thrilled to be able to visit again. I wasn't expecting two short stories and two novellas. I'm not a short story fan. I like my time in a book to be able to last. Still, I found this book wonderful.

My favorite was the Prince of Ebon Rih. The love story between Lucivar and Marion was sweet. The "take me" part was very sexy! I hope this will not be the last.

Love this series! This has stories that help add to our knowledge of what formed the charactors in the Black Jewels trilogy
I am waiting for the next in the series#7.Don't miss #6 either.
Anne Bishop keeps the action going and never fails to please!
I have everything she has written

I know some of the other reviews state that Bishop's prose in this book is not as fluid as the Black Jewel trilogy, and that her plotline is too abrupt and sometimes cliche. Well, they are right.

Despite these flaws, it's still a far, far better book than you will find out on the market. I rated it a 4 out of 5 because Bishop still has what it takes to write an engaging story. If you *loved* the Blk Jewel Trilogy, you will like this book. I gaurantee it. (And who didn't love her trilogy??)

However, Sebastian was impossible to get into....I read halfway into the book at my local bookstore, because I really wanted to give it a good shot. Even though she had me shuddering (and not in a good way) with the phrase, "Eater of the World" in the first few pages. For someone of such lyrical prose, she really disapointed me with her lack of something more creative/ smooth than "EATER of the World"...too choppy and unimaginative.

But I still think she is one of the most talented writers out there. Don't just take my word for it; go to your local bookstore and skim the first few pages of this book. If you haven't read the Blk Jewel Trilogy, do yourself a favor and click "Add to Cart"...you will not regret it!

Brilliant extra to one of my favourite trilogies 'Black Jewels' this is a must read if you liked the series.

There are 4 tales here, first the story of the weaver of dreams, then how marian and lucivar fell in love, sataen losing daemon to hekatah and the continued ending to the original trilogy.

All the stories are precious and include all the characters at there finest.

Easy 5 stars, consider this the 4th book in the black jewels quadrilogy its a must read.

Honestly I'm rather disappointed with this continuation of Anne Bishop's Dark Jewels novels. Like many others I earerly anticipted any new tidbits from the world I had become so enamored of in the initial trilogy. Needless to saywhen I discovered this collection I was thrilled.

The inital story, "Weaver of Dreams" is an intersting piece of literary muscle flexing on Ms. Bishop's part. I wonder, however, how many of her readers will be able appreciate it.

"The Prince of Ebon Rih" is sweet, funny and pure fluff. I enjoyed it but can't say it resonated on the same emotional level as the original books, then again perhaps it wasn't meant to. All in all it was a fun afternoon read.

"Zuulaman" I think is the real power house of this colletion so to speak. It packs as much punch as anything else Ms. Bishop has written. Saetan's frustration, anguish and rage are palpable throughout. It also features the return, so to speak,of Heketah, one of the most disgustingly wonderfuly written villains in recent fantasy. In this peice she is ruthless nd monsterous beyond anything se does in the trilogy. Truely a griping piece of writing.

"Kaeleer's Heart" however fell rather miserably flat. The "villain" reads more like someone from a bad teen flick about obsession. The plot on the whole is reminiscent of a bad episode of Dawson's Creek with some random, pointless violence thon in to spice up a very bland offering. I know that warlord princes are supposed to be violent but honestly the provication in this piece simpy make Daemon look like a psychopathic little boy who overreacts to a petty misunderstanding. Ms. Bishop fails to do justice to her very dynamic characters, making them exteremly petty and onesided.

Overall the collection is decent. The first three stories nearly carry it to the level of good. The on overall issue is the repetition throughout. The use of killing edge and killing field especially become almost comic, subtracting from their intended power. It is not quite what many readers I think will have come to expect from this author but it is worth looking at for die hard fans

I have this book in paperback, but will most likely buy the kindle version too. Anne Bishop is one of my favorite authors overall. She has descriptive writing, without being too descriptive to the point of boring, and she has very strong, entertaining dialogue. She easily sucks you into her well-crafted world. My favorite story in this book is The Prince of Ebon Rih because I find the characters to be very relate-able in it.

I fell in love with The Black Jewels Trilogy years ago, and I just stumbled across this gem. This book is every bit as good as the original trilogy, and provides some more background that was formerly missing, along with resolving that which the trilogy left hanging. I started reading it today and I couldn't put it down until I was finished, and now I want more. Brilliantly written, with depth and feeling to every character, this book draws you in and won't let you go until it's over. I *highly* recommend it. Of course, if you haven't read the original Black Jewels Trilogy, you need to do that first, or you won't understand what's going on.

I read this book before The Black Jewels Trilogy and found it absolutely amazing- of course I had to read the trilogy afterwards.

this book just adds some simple stories like Lucivar and Marion's courtship to more important stories like what happens to Jaenelle and Daemon after the triology. needless to say I had to go back and read a couple of the stories over again.

a necessary read for a Black Jewels fan.

This book was just as beautifully written as the Black Jewels trilogy, and I loved every word of it. Dreams made flesh reveals more about the characters that I grew to love in the other books, and helps to understand some parts of Queen of Darkness and the other books more clearly. One of the best parts about this book, is that it finally puts my mind and heart at rest since it finally tells us what happens to Daemon and Jaenelle after Queen of Darkness.
After reading this book, I hope that Anne Bishop will continue to write books or stories about the Blood, because it has definitely sparked my interest about this culture yet again.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do.

. . . was both an erotic and terrifying thing. Since I had given up hope of ever hearing from the worlds of the Black Jewels, I grabbed this book up immediately and was not disappointed. The stories "The Prince of Ebon Rih" and "Zuulamam" flesh out the characters of Lucivar and Saetan beautifully while "Kaeleer's Heart" finally shows us the aftermath of "Queen of the Darkness".

While I cannot say that I favor one of the three stories over the other, it would not be possible to urge you strongly enough to read the Black Jewels trilogy and follow it up Dreams Made Flesh.

The story of Lucivar and Marion answers so many questions that were left from "The Queen of the Darkness". Their love story is almost as beautiful as Kaeleer's Heart. The excerpt Zulamaan only ignited my desire to learn more about Saetan, the story of the man himself. This book is definitely worth getting and a must buy if you love the Blood trilogy. I hope the author continues writing more stories about the people she introduced in the Blood trilogy.

I read the Black Jewels trilogy several years ago...wow, actually been it's been quite a while. So one can surmise how it felt to be taken back to the realms created the Anne Bishop once more...to walk among the characters that make this story so wonderful.

The book answered many questions I had after reading the book and sought to give insight on the past of the Blood. But it wasn't historical. The storytelling is the same as the BJT which means it's great! Now, I'm sad it's over...

There are some stories you just can't get enough of and I think the world in the BJT is one of them. It's as if you're a greedy child wanting more and more, unrelenting about sharing what you have. A rivoting tale about love, honor, and friendship...as always, with a twist--BJT style.

Dreams Made Flesh caps off the stories in the Black Jewels series by tying up loose ends such as Lucifar's and Marion's romance, why Saetan didn't just take his sons back, and the aftermath of Jaenelle's sacrifice and return. Good stuff.

After a long wait we finally see some crucial tales told in the Black Jewels series. And the wait was well worth it. As with all of Anne Bishop's novels in this world, these tales are emotionally charged and absolutely breathtaking.

There will always be more stories to tell of Jaenelle's extended family, but it finally feels like a complete story. I'd love to read more, but I, for one, can now say the tale is told. Thanks Anne.

This book was wonderful, it adds to the Black Jewels Trilogy, if you love the world of Anne Bishop's Blood realms, you will love this too. My favorite is the love story of Lucivar and Marian. I would definately recommend it.

The four stories in this book are worthy in their own right. Together they gave me the same range of emotional response I had with the "Black Jewels Trilogy".

If you expect this book to occasionally make you laugh out loud, snigger a lot of the time, and sometimes even wipe away a tear, this will do it.

Love all of the Black Jewel Series, I actually purchased them at this time for my sister as a Christmas gift. My sister had read the first 3 but hadn't had the opportunity to read any of the others so I purchased the entire series for her. She loved the first 3, I'm sure this one will be no different. These books are definitely not for the kindhearted and I would describe them as dark and disturbing for most of the series, they can be graphic, horrifying, fantastic, whimsical, saddening and much much more. I have found myself actually laughing out loud, and crying so hard I had to put them away for a while. I've read and reread them probably close to 10 times and can say that I feel they blow most other writers and writing styles out of the water. Everyone is all about 50 Shades of Gray for its sexual content and heat but, in my opinion, nothing beats these books in that aspect as well as many others, I find myself wishing I could step through the pages and live in their world. These books are definitely something you read with an open mind and they are by no means written for children.