Rating: 
Summary: bittersweet endings
Review: I will try not to give away any spoilers, I promise. The first time I read this series, I didn't like the ending. The second time around, I 'got it', and the reasons I didn't like the ending went away. It is, in my opinion, the worst of the series, but you NEED to read it all the same once you've come to know the characters. Don't let Daemon's vulnerability fool you in the beginning.
Rating: 
Summary: Darkly Beautiful
Review: Anne Bishop takes hold of her reader's very souls in the stunning conclusion to her fascinating Black Jewels Trilogy. Jaenelle is no longer a child, but a grown woman with all the confusion to go with it, and Daemon, the man destined to be her consort, is finally making his way back to her after agonozing time spent lost in the Twisted Kingdom. Not only is it the same wonderfully dark tale Bishop has been weaving in the previous two books, but a new element is added with the highly amusing encounters with Surreal and others of the dark court. It is truly increadible listening to her biting sense of humor and seeing beloved characthers reactions to it. In short, through the tragedies of past and sadness of necessary sacrifices, Bishop pulls her trilogy to an end in an astoundingly fantastic way. Truly a worthy ending to a much loved series.
Rating: 
Summary: With both a bang and a whimper.
Review: This novel occupied me. I read it very quickly, in about twelve hours, wanting to know what happened after 'Heir to the Shadows.' It made me very emotional in places. All of those are supposedly the marks of a great novel. And yet... I rated it three stars when all's said and done. The good first: Daemon Sadi is back. And his character has gotten a reworking that wouldn't have been possible if not for the traumatic events that happened to him in the first two books. I see now some of the reasons for his absence in 'Heir to the Shadows,' and they are good ones. He is the bang in the book, his insecurity and returning confidence great conduits for the reader's emotions. And his actions near the end of the book really deserve the name of the novel's climax, rather than what Jaenelle does. I have rarely seen such a skillful evocation of a character dancing on the line between good and evil. I won't reveal what it is, not wanting to get into spoilers, but this is the part in all the books that most played with my emotions, and yet left me breathless and happy afterward, instead of irritated that I'd been toyed with. The other parts of the book were the whimper. When the book begins, we have leapfrogged several years in time, and I will reveal this, since I don't think it spoils much of the plot of the book: Lucivar is married. This abruptly appears, and we don't get to see much of his wife or son, which makes the transition appear pointless. Lucivar was developed as a deep character in 'Heir to the Shadows,' and there seems no reason to abandon that. I never quite learned what the author was doing here. The minor character problem has continued to pile up, so that I often flipped through the pages trying to reconcile a scene that didn't seem to make sense. Was this person the son of this woman, or her brother? Why was Character A so upset about Character B's action? One skill that Bishop does seem to lack is introducing large numbers of characters all at once. The book as a whole seems rushed, but the introduction or reintroduction of the characters especially so. The problems with Jaenelle have deepened and intensified. I could accept her characterization through Daemon's point of view, since he is in love with her and not seeing her realistically. But the other characters continue to stare at her with religious awe. It is very strange. I still had the feeling that most of their awe was for her potential powers, rather than what she had actually done. What Jaenelle actually does ends the book, and it was very disappointing to me. Where Daemon's ending kept me entranced, this made me almost close the book. Where I admired the emotions that Daemon's ending evokes, here I thought it was tears for the sake of tears. And the very, very last pages of the book seemed to be a shaky compromise between 'happy ending' and 'angsty ending.' Perhaps I'm alone in preferring one or the other, but if there's a compromise, let it be well-done. This didn't strike me that way. It's hard to say whether I'm disappointed with the trilogy or not. I would definitely recommend reading it. However, I can't recommend it wholeheartedly, and especially not to people who need to sympathize with a female character to keep the plot moving forward. I've heard the series touted because of Jaenelle, but I don't think she ever achieves the status of real heroics; those are reserved for Saetan, Lucivar, and Daemon. So if you don't mind male characters in the lead, love odd societies and dark fantasies, and can deal with an ambivalent ending, I would say go for it. If not, perhaps best to leave these on the shelves.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: The first book of the trilogy is slightly confusing while you learn the world and characters, but hang in there. This trilogy is a jewel a dark jewel (sorry for the pun). But in all seriousness I adore these books. The characters are wonderful and the last book had me shaking for hours. It was fabulously done. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: It was great but.....
Review: Okay I loved this book and I gave it five stars but!!!... I really loved Daemon and as I was reading the other reviews some people agree with me!! I want more answers!!! I want to know what happens also !! Daemon in the 1st book was REALLY powerful he was controlled but not really trully controlled he was THE SaDIST nothing could really get to him!! then in the 2nd and third book I hated how all of a sudden he was totally a weakling!! He couldn't like really do anything!! And I sort of expected hom to know a lot of fighting I was surprised when he was a novice in Eyerien fighting!! and then also I didn't like that Jaenelle like didn't have a court anymore!!! I really wanted Janelle to set back her court again and have Saetan stay a strong power in the world!! Also I really liked Karla and Morton and it made me want to cry when all the Demon-dead just left like that forever!! it was horrible!!
I truly loved this boook in the end when the sadist came back and when Saetan said he was very proud and somewhat scared of his son Daemon!! Otherwise it is a great book!!!... you really should read it!!
Rating:
Summary: A must read triology
Review: This is a wonderful book. I believe it is part three in the triology. You must start with book one. I highly recommend
Rating:
Summary: An excellent conclusion to a wonderful trilogy
Review: Anne Bishop brings her Black Jewels trilogy to its exciting conclusion in "Queen of the Darkness." Jaenelle has established her court, and Daemon has escaped the Twisted Kingdom, but Dorothea and Heketah continue to scheme at spreading Hayll's corrupting influence into Kaeleer, inciting a war that threatens to destroy all the Blood in both realms.
The story finishes as strongly as it began in "Daughter of the Blood." Bishop has created a fascinating, immersive world with these books, filled with characters that I've really grown attached to. The world's social structure is also quite interesting, and a welcome departure from many other fantasies I've read. If anyone finds anything to complain about here, it's that the ending, while very well done, leaves some questions unanswered. But Bishop has stated on her website that there are a number of stories she'd still like to tell about the Blood, including the events that follow those of the Black Jewels trilogy. I certainly look forward to reading them. Bishop has written one other book which takes place in the realms of the Blood, "The Invisible Ring." It's not as compelling as the main trilogy, but fans of the trilogy will still enjoy it, and I recommend taking a look.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book Ever
Review: This book happens to be the best book I have ever read, and I have read thousands of books. Bishop really develops the characters and plot in such a creative, glorious way that the reader feels amazed at the end of the story. This book was recommended to me by a friend, and for very good reason. The events are more imaginative than I ever thought possible, with very good mental pictures. Even if it did end a little abruptly and had many sexual scenes, I would highly recommend to anyone interested in reading it. It was a magnificent conclusion to a wonderful series.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book Ever
Review: I own almost a thousand books and have read many times over the amount. This, in all my experience, is the best book I have ever read. Anne Bishop has a very creative imagination, designing characters and worlds and emotions better than I have ever seen. While reading this book, I forgot where I was, what I was doing, and how much time was flying by. An excellent conclusion to the series, I highly recommend this book to everyone over thirteen years old. There are some sexual parts. The characters are well-loved and respected, and leaves the reader craving for more. This book is so good and creates a situation that may not be happily ever after, but there is still much good. It is a good compromise that makes it stand above all other books.
Rating:
Summary: I want more!!
Review: I know that this was only a trilogy, but by the end of the book, I wanted to know what happened next. Heketah and Dorothea are able to connive their way into forcing Jaenelle to make a decision about who she is and what she wants. Jaenelle's birth family has some hard decisions to make about their expectations. I loved seeing the interaction between Surreal, Lucivar, Saetan, and Daemon. There were moments at the beginning that broke my heart, and moments that I was cheering for the characters. This was a good book to end the series with--many things that were mentioned in the other two books were finished off here. I really felt that the ending left me hanging. But there was a lead in (kind of) to the book "The Invisible Ring." I will probably read that book soon. There were storylines that could have been developed more, but the love story between Daemon and Jaenelle was very well written. I would highly recommend the entire series to anyone.
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