Great! I was rather disappointed by nr.5 and 6, but fortunately nr.7 was again a delight. The story takes place after the witch storm, and has both new and old characters. Considering the beauty of the world, and the appealing characters, it doesn't take much of a story to create a satisfying read. And I admit, it's not the most intricate story in the world, plus half the story line is only some extra background and insight into the (old) characters. I don't care though; as long as the story is not a complete flop like in nr. 6, just being in Kaeleer or Terreille makes up for it... ( )

Anne Bishop never fails to write a story that grabs me right way and does not let me go until the very last page. The Black Jewels series is definitely my favorite of all her books. All of the books set in this world have intriguing story lines and characters who fascinate me. Even the characters I loathe are still well written. Any book by Anne Bishop is a must read and this series is no exception. ( )

So far, all of the Black Jewels books after the original trilogy have fallen short where I'm concerned, and this one -- while better and more satisfying than "Tangled Webs" is still a bit of a disappointment.

Bishop has been trying to tell stories about other people in this world while continuing the stories of Jaenelle, Daemon, and their family, but the weaving together of the threads is sometimes awkward. Cassidy is a likeable heroine, but her conflict with Theran is frustrating because he is so relentlessly obtuse. Both of them are principled but ignorant, and their clashes remain frustratingly one-dimensional.

I also thought it was ironic that the publisher evidently insisted on making the woman on the cover utterly gorgeous, despite the fact that one of the main conflicts in the story is about Cassidy not being conventionally beautiful.

( )

reread 1/27/17 ( )

76 points/100 (4 stars/5).

Dena Nehele is without a Queen, and Jared and Lia's descendent goes to Daemon Sadi for help finding one in Kaeleer. Cassidy is a queen without a court after the last one left her, and Jaenelle volunteers her to go and help. Meanwhile, Daemon is experiencing problems with his past and is afraid of hurting Jaenelle.

This really felt like half a book, like the publisher made her split the book in two so they could publish it easier, and she chose a random spot to do it in. That said, I really enjoyed this book more than I expected I would. This is the follow-up to the prequel, The Invisible Ring, as well as a following through with the events that happened at the end of the trilogy.

I think Bishop did a great job of including just enough of the characters that I had come to love in the original trilogy, while also introducing the new set of characters. It got me interested in the book because I was able to see them and it didn't feel so jarring, not in the way The Invisible Ring did (even though that book did have Daemon in it). Unfortunately, by the end of the book, I actually would have liked for Bishop to not have included them after the initial introductions between Cassidy and the descendent, Theran, other than checking up on Cassidy. They totally steal the show, and I want more of them and not more of Cassidy. They did not need their own plotline, they needed to supplement the new one. I hope they back off in the next book some.

I like the idea of what Bishop is going for with Cassidy going to the Terreillee to help the land heal. However, I never got to actually see that until the end. The first 85% of the book is focused more on her hurt feelings (which I'll get to later), and the Daemon/Jaenelle storyline. We literally only see her truly get to act as a Queen once the entire book. Unless you count trying to get her court to treat her as a Queen, in which case, chock full of that.

Back to the hurt feelings. Holy hell, the amount of time spent on this characters looks was insulting. It went on and on and on. As far as I could tell, she wasn't Quasimodo, just not "beautiful" like they expected, and pretty... "ethnic" due to her red hair and freckles. But, man did it give some wickedly mean lines.

He didn’t want Cassidy. Who would? But her voice was the kind that could heat a man’s blood—as long as he didn’t have to look at her face.

He smiled again. “I can fulfill my duties to the Queen. When it comes right down to it, all women look the same in the dark.”

I love Daemon and Jaenelle and their relationship. Now that Daemon feels safe, he is started to experience PTSD and is afraid for Jaenelle because he is lashing out. Someone played with him and his relationship with Jaenelle again and it was just a bit too much for Daemon's sanity. And, because it was affecting his son, Saetan became a bit unhinged and needed calming down, too. If you hadn't read Dreams Made Flesh, you might be a bit confused on part of it, but it isn't anything necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, however it just felt like half the story. A little much too time was spent on previous characters, and not enough time was spent devoted to the problem at hand.
( )