Twilight's Dawn

First, if this is your first Black Jewels novel or first Anne Bishop: STOP. Go back and read at the very least the original trilogy of Daughter of the Blood, Heir of the Shadows and Queen of the Darkness. This book really isn't a standalone. If you read it before the others, it will lose a lot of its impact, you may feel lost, and you will definitely encounter spoilers. I'd also definitely recommend as well that you read Tangled Webs and the novella "Kaeleer's Heart" from the Black Jewels anthology Dreams Made Flesh. If you haven't read the Black Jewels trilogy before, well, if you love dark fantasy I think you're in for a treat. It's an unusual, imaginative, and vividly drawn world and Bishop had a way with her characters that made me show more fall in love with them.

I admit I squeed inside when I saw Twilight's Dawn in stores and immediately grabbed it. If you do love the Black Jewels books, I doubt you'll be disappointed. The three and a half stars reflects where I'd place it among the other Black Jewels books. I didn't, as with some past books in the series, tear up or laugh-out-loud. I wouldn't put this with my favorites, and I don't think it's as strong as the original trilogy (5 stars) or the three books set in Shalador (rated 4 to 4 and a half stars), but I did enjoy all the stories.

The flyleaf calls this a collection of four novellas. Actually, I'd say the four stories do share an overarching thread and theme, and I'd call two of the stories short novels, particularly Shades of Honor. Fans of the series might remember cryptic comments about Falonar in Shalador's Lady--this tells the story of what happened in a clash between Lucivar and Falonar, as well as the process by which Ranier and especially Surreal heal physically and emotionally from the events of Tangled Web. I loved the subplot about the process by which Surreal healed. I loved less that Bishop made Falonar an out and out villain. I rather liked him in Queen of the Darkness and felt that just because he and Surreal didn't work romantically and Falonar and Lucivar clashed in personality and philosophy didn't mean he had to be the heavy. (And how he acts in this story puts him in the too-stupid-to-live category.)

The two novellas "Winsol Gifts" and "Family" are both entertaining stories, the first, which opens the book, centered on the SaDiablo family on the day which is that world's equivalent of Christmas. Sentimental and sweet. The other, "Family" is darker--a tale of what happens when Sylvia and her family become threatened by a predator.

Finally there's the bittersweet near-novel The High Lord's Daughter, which closes the book. Some indeed might be disappointed with it--those who are of the kind who think love is not love if you can recover from the death of your loved one and heal your heart enough to share it again. I love the story. If I closed the book with mixed feelings, it's because I felt Bishop had finally given closure to the main series characters in this story, and I wonder if we'll see them again. Although I wasn't dissatisfied with the end of Queen of the Shadows, I thought it left a lot of questions about the fate of several characters, and this story answers a lot of those questions.

Edit Looking at the reviews on GoodReads and Amazon, I can see I was right that the last story would provoke a very negative reaction from some. I can't agree with those who call it a "series killer"--and given the ratings, I don't think most readers do either. Frankly, if the developments in the last novella are a shock, then I think you haven't been paying attention and these events were largely foreshadowed throughout the series. Without getting into spoilers, I can say I don't agree at all with the criticisms of the central romance--but I do rather agree with some criticisms of the title character--that she should have stood on her own, rather than being made into the copy of another character down to the name. show less

The last book in The Black Jewels series was to my surprise a collection of four stories. They weren't short and left me bittersweet and teary eyed.


Winsol Gifts acts as a warm up reacquainting us with Daemon, Jaenelle, Lucivar, Surreal and The High Lord as they noisily and happily celebrate Winsol together and apart. There is a bit of sadness in this story but mostly it's very positive.


Shades of Honor (is perhaps my favourite story) takes us back to Lucivar and Falonar's confrontation. And boy was I ever so glad to return to Lucivar's bloodthirsty brilliance! This story was magnificent, and I especially enjoyed its ending... Let's just say that pitiful bastard Falonar with his racial prejudice and horrible superiority got what he show more deserved in the end.


In Family the tone of the book turns even darker. Queen Sylvia and her sons are attacked, and she is gravely injured by a serial killer hunting Blood children in Little Terreille. It's up to Daemon and strangely enough his mother, Tersa, to catch the killer and exact a very brutal justice. All I can say is, no one messes with Tersa! Also, Saetan gets his happy ending after a fashion.


At last, by The High Lord's Daughter I was almost bawling my eyes out. *wails* Everyone dies! (well, not everyone, but enough characters I love do) It's a story of Daemon year after Jaenelle's death and him finding unexpected happiness. It's the longest story in the book because it describes quite a few years of Daemon's life. I was crying, and even thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. A bittersweet ending, but was it necessary? I'm not sure. I would have been happier without reading it. Probably.

I can't believe how invested I became in The Black Jewels and how much I wanted to stay in this world, peeps. Overall, an excellent instalment of the series. Highly recommended! show less

Twilight's Dawn is the 9th book in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series. This is a collection of four novellas that feature characters from the series. I would recommend having read the main trilogy and Tangled Webs for a full understanding of the characters and the events they've experienced prior to reading this collection. The remaining books are helpful in regards to timelines but not required to enjoy these stories.

The first story is Winsol Gifts. Daemon and Jeanelle are settling into married life and it will be their first Winsol together without a crisis to deal with. This was a sweet, day in the life story that shows how the SaDiablo family is when the Realms are at peace and what it means for the Blood to celebrate their version show more of the winter solstice.

Next is Shades of Honor. Set not long after events in Tangled Webs, Surreal has returned to Ebon Rih still recovering from her wounds. The visit is meant to help her heal both physically and mentally. When her former lover Prince Falonar begins to challenge her family's rule on the region it may be just enough for Surreal's mind to begin walking the paths to the Twisted Kingdom. This one has all the intensity and drama that I love about the Black Jewels books. Lucivar is shown in his full Eyrien Warlord Price glory. We're given more insight into Eyrien society and what it means to be a warrior in peace time. The story stays focused on Lucivar and Surreal, which I enjoyed as their character interplay is a lot of fun to read.

The third novella is Family. This one takes places 10 years later. Lady Sylvia, Queen of Dhemlan, is taking her sons on a trip to see another blood family, but not all is what it seems. A serial killer with a penchant for young boys has laid a trap for the family. Things quickly turn vicious. This one reminds me of Daughter of the Blood in style with regards to the level of violence and it's target being children. It is one of the shorter stories so the mystery is solved fairly quickly and the story shifts to focus on the Saetan/Sylvia dynamic.

The final story is The High Lord's Daughter. This is a story that spans several decades. I cannot talk about this one without major spoilers so click the tag at your own risk. It begins one year after Jeanelle's death as Daemon is still coming to grips with the loss. As readers we always knew this day would come, he being one of the long lived races and she is not, but I never expected Bishop to write about it. I started to tear up within the first couple pages and the story does not pull any emotional punches. Jeanelle left Daemon with the instruction to "take a year to grieve, and when that year is over, promise me you'll take up your life again." While Daemon does as instructed and involves himself in the world around him, he does not open himself back up to love. A little time passes and then we also witness Saeten pass into the darkness with Daemon's help. Again, never something I thought Bishop would ever write. With some help, and several centuries for his heart to heal, Dameon finds out that, yes, he can live life to its fullest and love again though it will never be the same as what he had with Jeanelle. It is tragic, hopeful and ended much different than I was expecting even after I read the blurb on the back of the book. It definitely feels like the end to the series and quite a bittersweet ending at that. Bishop has written on her blog that she may come back to the series again at some point but I wouldn't be surprised if that's not for a long time if ever.

I am torn. I think this is a great read for fans of the series but I can also see that last story really pissing fans off. Overall I enjoyed the stories and was moved by them. Read that final story at your own risk. show less

I picked this up last night, at the store, read a few pages of the last story "The High Lord's Daughter" and quickly put it back on the shelf to avoid looking like a idiot for crying.

I bought it in ebook form later in the evening; then I spent a good hour crying as I read the story. Ok, yes, I read the last story first. So sue me.

Anne Bishop is as powerful as ever. Her Black Jewels characters are real enough to make me cry and mourn and hope there will be more stories.

This review maybe controversial for some, but I really liked this book.

Of course I cried, of course I said WTF when the Surreal/Daemon connection appeared. But I got it because it was real. He didn't forget the love of his life, he struggled, but loved. He loved because the love of his life healed him in a way.
I think what iludes some readers is that they forget that Surreal really loved and felt devastated, also about Jaenelle's death. She didn't sit in the sidelines waiting for her turn. She was Jaenelle's closest female friend, a sister, she was instrumental in getting Jaenelle and Daemon to finally wed. She named her daughter after her.
Surreal and Daemon's love wasn't cliché or based in some pseudo fantasy we harbor about being show more the only thing the other wants or needs. She wasn't second best. She was loved and loved and it was all thanks to Witch.

I will never be a fan of killing off characters in a book. Mostly its done as a quick way to give drama to a plot (I'm looking at you J.K. Rowling!). But none of the deaths were really a surprise. We have been hearing about them coming. Perhaps Jaenelle's death deserved the gravitas that was bestowed upon Saetan's but maybe Ms. Bishop thought we had cried enough...

The thing I liked more about Anne Bishop's fantasy is that it seems real. They are real people who shop, read books, eat, take naps, etc. Often fantasy characters live only for the quest and their lives and day to day are only important when they are doing something other worldly. The insight into the mundane (which isn't that mundane) gives depth and sets Ms. Bishop's work apart.

In the end, this is the conclusion of a saga that is really close to my heart and it was a worthy ending. If you are a fan, but want to stay in the illusion that life isn't as unstoppable as the tides, then don't read it. show less

WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS

Okay, I don’t even know where to start. Dear Anne Bishop, What the f**k?! Wasn’t it enough that all the books since the Black Jewel’s Trilogy weren’t really about Jaenelle, or that she only appeared as someone who gave advice and was never truly part of the adventure? No, you had to kill her and Saetan on the same short story. They didn’t even deserve a whole book?

I know what you tried to do, the only logic thing to Jaenelle being human and all, I know Surreal was the only person that made sense for Daemon, and being there as a Song in the Darkness so he wouldn’t feel lonely at the level of the Black was kind of conforting. And yes, in Daughter of the Blood I kind of hoped Surreal and Daemon would be show more together. But that was centuries ago, that was before the living myth, that was before Witch. That was before Jaenelle. And though she was human, this is a fantasy book! You could made her eat a cake of Lorn’s scales or something and tã-dãã, she’d live as long as Daemon.

And what about that Jaenelle Satien having more to do with little Jaenelle than with Surreal? That didn’t even made any sense. Daemon should have had Jaenelle’s children to cherish and take care of when she was gone (if she really needed to be gone).

Having only Daemon and Lucivar and Surreal left makes me remember those first years in Terreile, feels hollow, incomplete. Even with the new children.

I love happy endings, not books that make me cry a whole afternoon. I hope we hear more from Jaenelle, from her happy years, from her grown-up adventures. Now I’m doing the same as Saetan, I don’t care about the world of the living blood until I hear from the daughter of his soul again. And I’m not buying this book!! I don’t want it on my shelf!! show less

The ninth book in the Black Jewels series contains four wonderful stories. WINSOL GIFTS is a great slice of life story that lets us see old favorite characters and experience the winter holidays the way the SaDiablo family does.

SHADES OF HONOR fills in the details about whatever happened to Falonar after he broke Surreal's heart.

FAMILY is the story of a betrayal and what the SaDiablo's do when someone messes with their family. Saetan's love Queen Sylvia is essentially ambushed when she goes on a simple family visit to a manor near Little Terreille. Her death needs to be avenged, her children protected, and the villain eliminated before he can do any more damage.

THE HIGH LORD'S DAUGHTER made me cry. It tells the story, centered around show more Daemon, after the love of his life - the woman he waited for for 1700 years - dies and leaves him to pick up his life and start again. There are a number of heart-wrenching losses in this one but lots of new children born too. show less