Romantic Fantasy published by Ace 09 Mar 21
The original Black Jewels trilogy had a deep impact on me and I was deeply disappointed when the author chose to stop writing in this world. To me, this return to the world is bittersweet. Having watched Janelle and her court flourish and enjoyed all the antics of the kindred, we return to a completely different world. Many of the original characters are whispers in the darkness and Janelle herself has a noncorporal form, which appears to those who swore life-long service but is a story and a memory to others. This is a coming-of-age story of the next generation. The values that were bred into the blood and the bone of the first generation are manifested differently in the second generation and the evil, no matter what, is sacrificed to stamp it out never dies and finds the most unlikely ways to raise its head and spread like a weed where it’s allowed, perhaps closer to home than expected.
The Queen’s Bargain gave us the first glimpse that Daemon’s golden-haired treasure might have feet of clay, but the story ended without much fanfare. This story begins on a hopeful and bright note as Janelle Satien and Daemonar unwittingly follow some of the same fun paths once trodden by Janelle Angeline and Lucivar. But evil is rising insidiously, and soon Daemonar will be called upon to serve and protect and act as the queen’s weapons. His father and uncle will not be far behind, called upon to play their own roles on this new killing field.
Surreal is the character who seems to have gone through the greatest transformation. Once the feared assassin who pulled out a weapon on anyone who deserved it, regardless of who they might be, failed to stand up for herself and lost Daemon, the man who was starting to open up his heart to another woman besides Witch. Now Daemon has figured out how to revert back to his old relationship with Surreal and bring Witch back into his life, even if he can’t touch her while giving Surreal all the courtesies of a spouse. The daughter Surreal, once protected with a clawed weapon from the father who adored her, will turn her back on the mother and deliver a heart wound that can never be mended. Will the series continue and what role will Surreal play as the story evolves is an interesting question left for the future.
It is hard to imagine that Janelle Satien, the much-awaited golden-hearted treasure, will be the character who fails the millennia of honor bred into the Sa Diablo blood line and betray all that she’s been raised to defend. It’s difficult to watch a lifetime of friendships and relationships destroyed as evil finds fertile ground to seed malice and insecurity. A girl who has been raised in the lap of luxury with the love that her parents never received throws it all away for an empty friendship. My heart goes out to Daemon, who suffered so much for so many years, had Witch as wife for the shortest time, only to have his ultimate reward deliver the biggest heart blow of all? What will happen to Janelle Satien as the series evolves?
It’s Daemonar who comes into his own in this book. He has watched and learned growing up in the shadow of Witch, his beloved Auntie Janelle, who has a tremendous impact on him. An impact that isn’t truly felt until The Queen’s Bargain. His sensitivity and compassion toward his sister, when he brings her heart pain to his father, then his actions in the school as he stands as protector to his sister and his cousin, and then when he goes into battle to protect all that is dear to his heart. Of course, he is going to pay the price for not shielding properly and getting hurt. Methinks there’s quite a bit of coddling in Daemonar’s future and I personally can’t wait to see when he finds his soul mate. I hope the author gives us that story.
Like all of Ms. Bishop’s books, the story is thought provoking, making me reach into my own psyche for answers to the age-old question about nature versus nurture. So many questions about where and how this series will evolve, I can’t wait to see where the author takes it.
Grade: A
Summary:
Enter the dark and sensual realms of the Black Jewels, a world where power always has a price, in this sweeping story in the New York Times bestselling fantasy saga.
They are Warlord Princes, men born to serve and protect. They are the Queen’s Weapons, men born to destroy the Queen’s enemies–no matter what face that enemy wears.
Daemonar Yaslana knows how to be bossy yet supportive–traits he shares with his father, the Demon Prince, and his uncle, the High Lord of Hell. Within his generation of the family, he assumes the role of protector, supporting his sister Titian’s artistic efforts and curbing his cousin Jaenelle Saetien’s more adventurous ideas. But when a young Eyrien Queen, someone Titian thought was a friend, inflicts an emotional wound, Daemonar’s counterattack brings him under the tutelage of Witch, the Queen whose continued existence is known only to a select few.
As Daemonar is confronted by troubling changes within and around the family, he sees warnings that a taint in the Blood might be reappearing. Daemonar, along with his father and uncle, must uncover the source of a familiar evil–and Daemon Sadi, the High Lord of Hell, may be forced into making a terrible choice.
Other books in this series:
