Daughter of the Blood
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In the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop, the
realms of the living and the dead overlay each other, Hell and most of
its myths exist, though not as we expect, and all are ruled by the
Blood, the strength of whose innate powers are revealed by the darkness
of the magical jewels they bear. The Blood are, in turn, ruled by
Queens. The first installment, Daughter of the Blood, introduces the prophesied Queen of Darkness, born to the world at last in the form of the child, Jaenelle. At seven, Jaenelle has more power than those few Blood wielding the Black jewels, and she isn't anywhere near her full strength yet. In the realms, the Blood have been corrupted in a quest for power, and are slowly destroying the world and themselves. Whoever controlled Jaenelle could rule the world, but if she could be protected and guided, she could become the Queen that will save the world, and the Blood. Although the heroine is a child in this first book, this is not a novel for children, or easily disturbed adults. Anne Bishop writes dark fantasy at its best. This book is rich, lush, compelling and seductive. It is at times both tragic and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. There is much eroticism here, both the kind to be celebrated, and those twisted forms that occur when relationships between the sexes fall apart. These elements are treated frankly and often graphically, and some readers may find this distasteful. Daughter of the Blood is a well-paced story in a detailed, complex world filled with characters who are unique individuals with their own voices. Characters a reader may almost miss, once finished with the book. This is also one of those novels a reader can re-read as often as they wish, without becoming tired of it. An amazing book; highly recommended. |
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