Daughter of the Blood

Rating:
Summary: The best fantasy series I've ever read
Review: Daughter of the Blood is a stunning book. A far cry from many of the stereotypical and predictable fantasy novels being churned out by uninspired authors. This is one book I would read over and over again. Set in a dark world ruled by witches, where the High Lord of Hell is a 'good' character and his two sometimes vicious sons are the hereos, Daughter of the Blood has created a dark world to rival that of authors such as Anne Rice.

The land of the Blood - all humans and kindred (animals) who are strong enough magically to wear jewels - is fast becoming tainted by the evil spreading from two vicious and dangerous lady witches. Dorothea and Heketah control their males by means of a torturing Ring of Obedience and plan to dominate the Shadow Realm.

But standing in their way is Witch. Dreams made flesh and the personification of what Witch is (a black jeweled queen). She is twelve-year old Jaenelle Angelline - trapped in a loveless family, shunned by her relatives and sent to a mental infirmary because of her stories about meeting unicorns.

Into her world and life, Daemon Sadi (first-born of Saetan the High Lord of Hell) enters. Determined to protect her from those who would harm her, Daemon also fights to protect her from himself and his seductive spells. Born to be her lover but unable to touch her, he swears to set her free from her current life.

The characters in this are all fantastic. Daemon and his half-brother Lucivar (nice play on words - Daemon: Demon, Saetan: Satan, Lucivar: Lucifer) are two of the males sworn to protect her. Both are trapped in prostitution but neither are willing to submit to the witches they are forced to serve.

Anne Bishop is a wonderful writer and the characters really came alive for me. A lot of the time, I find that the main antagonists are a bit too wishy washy or perfect to be likable but this is not the case here. Daemon, Satan, Lucivar and Jaenelle are perfect as four very different people striving to stop the evil that is Dorothea and Heketah. You feel what the characters are feeling, you sympathise with them and you love them. They truly are fantastic.

As the evil ones, Dorothea and Heketah could not be more ruthless. The men they hold under their sway are full of fear and they punish the males who disobey them by cutting off the genitals. Any witch who is too strong is immediately put out of action - in the nastiest possible way, and they torture and abuse all those who serve them.

There is also a well written backup cast consisting of the part time whore and part time assassin and Daemon's friend Surreal (a spicy witch with attitude), Jaenelle's heartless family and members of Saetan's family and friends. However, there are a few scenes which wouldn't be entirely suitable for younger children and I would recommend an age of at least 11 because in some parts, things get a little descriptive.

Be forewarned, it is a bit darker than your average fantasy and deals with tough issues such as slavery, torture, murder and rape. However, before people freak out and think that it is a psycho book, these subjects are only part of an extremely good book. If you don't read it, you don't know what you're missing. Deserves 10 stars.

Rating:
Summary: A dazzling begining...
Review: For centuries now, the world of the Blood has been slipping into a hellish state, tainted by the machinations of two power-hungry women, slowly and subtly twisted and broken into a mere shadow of its former self. But there is hope: a prophecy has been made of the coming of a Queen who might yet save them all, not merely another witch but Witch, the embodiment of the dreams and hopes of all races. But before she can save her world, first she, and those who would aid her, must survive long enough for Witch to come into power....

In a single brilliant stroke, Anne Bishop opens up a whole new fantasy series while simultaneously overturning many of the more common notions pervading fantasy today. This is undeniably a brilliant book, well written, with an engaging storyline and characters that are lovable or despicable as their position requires and yet unique to nearly all I have read. In a world where the Darkness is 'good' (but evil is not), where many of the good guys live in Hell (but they're not nasty, just dead), where magic users where 'Jewels' with the darker jewels more powerful than the light (Black Jewels strongest of all), the notion of the three main protagonists being known as the Sadist, The High Lord of Hell, and Witch fits perfectly. Breathtaking and astounding, if you like dark fantasy in even the slightest way, this is a book you must read. The only possible warning I can think of is that this deals with many adult issues, including rape, and isn't for children.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: This book, and the two that follow, are some of the best I have ever read. I think they are the only ones I have encountered that I could happily read over and over (meaning, finish the third and immediately start the first again) without losing interest. I highly recommend these books to anyone, even those who do not normally read fantasy.

Rating:
Summary: Dreadful - save your time and money
Review: OK, so it's dark. It's also slow, gory, perverse, and dull. Forget loving the characters, can't they be interesting? And participate in a story line? Be strongly cautioned if you have trouble with torture, sadism, and child abuse. I don't call that "sensual." My stronger-stomached friends didn't believe how much I disliked this, and tried it themselves. Now they agree -- there are better things to read. I'll be turning my copy in to the second-hand store.

Rating:
Summary: dark and captivating
Review: I was nearly halfway through this book before I was able to form an opinion on it. Right from the beginning, I could see that it was every bit as dark and sensual as the reviews promised, but at first, it seemed that was all it was. Where was the plot? Where were the characters I could love? Still, having read any number of four- and five-star reviews, I resolved to stick with it.
Words cannot describe how glad I am I did. Yes, there is a great deal of ugliness and cruelty in the story, but that only serves to make the childlike innocence and mischief surrounding Jaenelle all the brighter. And as the story goes on, the ugliness fades, a compelling beauty taking its place, as the young witch-child's special magic touches lives and worlds so bleak and lost.
"...with her, the Black was not only dark, savage power, it was laughter and mischief and compassion and healing... and snowballs."
The characters are so real that by the end of the book, I felt like I ought to track them down and apologize for my initial impressions of them. Daemon, in particular, though cold-hearted and cruel at the beginning, rapidly becomes a character it's impossible not to like. It is unusual, to say the least, to read a story that sets up Saetan, High Lord of Hell as a Genuinely Great Guy, as opposed to a personification of evil; even rarer are books that make him and his two violent sons the sympathetic heroes, but the reversal of standard fantasy ideas works beautifully. And so, with review after review insisting that the sequels are even better, I'm eagerly looking forward to my next book-buying binge.
This is a book that will appeal to the sort of person who sees beauty in darkness, particularly those who are fans of vampire stories.

Rating:
Summary: A must read!!!
Review: This book is absolutly fabulous. It's combination of romance, dark fantasy, and femenism are terrific. This book sucks you in then leaves you DYING for more. It ends in a terrific cliff hanger that leaves you scrambling to start the second book. If your reading it and you can't put it down, go out and buy the second and third book immediatly. Don't get me wrong this book is not only females kicking butt, but it is also incredibly funny. Bishop is the kind of writer that makes you feel like you know the characters personally. I totally suggest you read this book if you're into fantasy and don't have a weak stomac, a few parts are kinda "detailed"

Rating:
Summary: Awsome
Review: This book was amazing. The characters were wonderfully developed and the story line no less than intriging. I devoured this book and the next 2 in the series during every second of my free time. They are spell binding. I definately reccomend them. There is caution for younger readers, as these books do have alot of what can be considdered adult content, dealing with language and sexual situations.

Rating:
Summary: I really did like the series...
Review: ...but there were a few disappointments.
The series does not spend enough time with Jaenelle. Jaenelle's eventual father, brother and consort do the majority of the narrating. Jaenelle herself seems a somewhat distant character in the series. This remoteness gets worse in the later books.
Be warned... There is some pretty graphic and gory detail. I suppose it adds to the story, but it was sometimes a lot more than I wanted to know (i.e., one character bites off another's personal parts, yuck!)
Finally, there are occasions where the characters go on a bit too long about how fearsome, powerful, vengeful, merciless, etc, etc, their fellow characters are.
Anyway, I really did like the series, in spite of my little pet peeves, and would recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Black Jewels Trilogy is Amazing
Review: This series is one of the best I have every read. I was lent the first book, and couldn't put it down. In two hours, as soon as I finished it, I ran up to the store to buy it and the next two. These books grab you and don't let you go. They're set in a fascinating realm where murder and torture is permissible, black magic is the cleanest and purest force, and society has degenerated into a sick game of power. Into this world comes Jaenelle, a young witch whose unimaginable power destines her to ascend the dark throne and rule the Blood, if she has the chance to grow into her strength. Jaenelle grows up in a family that doesn't understand her, and labels her as insane to make her fit into their worldview. She escapes this by crossing the realms of the living and the dead, making friends with demons, Kindred animals, and humans alike. Three dangerous men surround and protect her: Saetan, the High Lord of Hell and her adoptive father; Lucivar, his son; and Daemon, the High Lord's heir and Black Jewelled Warlord who was born to be her consort. As evil forces creep across the land, Jaenelle must survive to resist them and once and for all drive out the malevolence that corrupts all it touches.
The characters are wonderfully well written. The reader feels their rage, hatred, and desire as if it were their own. The beauty of this world is still apparent, though. Jaenelle's adolescence in Saetan's custody is hilarious, and the growing love between Daemon and Jaenelle, even when she is a child, is poignant. The storyline becomes a little rushed in the third book, but this simply adds to the tension present as the characters search for a way to save their world. All together, Anne Bishop weaves a tale that no one will be able to forget. I can only hope that she continues the series further.

Rating:
Summary: The darkness is trying to take a hold on the only hope...
Review: A witch named Tersa makes the perdiction of Witch, of the Queen. Her prediction is aimed mostly at two men, Daemen and Luicivar, brothers and the sons of Saeton, the High Lord of the realm of Hell. She leaves the life of Witch in the hands of these two boys, so Witch will learn and live until she is able to become Queen and overrule the old, evil Queen, Dorothea.

After 700 years of waiting, after 700 years of Daemon and Lucivar being tortured and forced to give women pleasure at court, Lucivar meets the 12-year-old witch, Jaenelle, and sends her away until she is seventeen.

Daemon knows she has come, but he doesnt know where she is, or who she is. He's become more sure that hes suppose to be her lover over his life, and he knows he must find her. He must protect her. And when he kills a witch for trying to make him give pleasure, he finds himself finally at the right court.

Saeton SaDiablo, High Lord of Hell, knows Witch is the daughter of his soul, and knows he must train the girl that wanders into his office--with a set of uncut jewels, including Black. And he knows that this is the girl that will save all of Trielle from the evil that has been brought upon by Queen Dorothea.

He knew that she was Witch, the myth and the legend.