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Daughter of the Blood

Book 1 in the series:The Black Jewels Series

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In "Daughter of the Blood," Anne Bishop introduces readers to a dark and fantastical world where females are portrayed as the dominant sex. The story follows the child queen Jaenelle and her extraordinary powers, as well as characters like Daemon, Saetan, and other key figures in the realms of Terreille, Kaeleer, and Hell. The narrative weaves together themes of power, magic, and prophecy as the characters navigate a complex web of politics, intrigue, and betrayal to protect a young girl destined to bring balance to their world.

The book delves into the struggles and conflicts faced by the characters, exploring dark themes such as abuse, power dynamics, and manipulation. Through intricate world-building and character development, Anne Bishop crafts a compelling story that captivates readers with its rich detail, complex relationships, and the looming threat of darkness that threatens to consume the realms.

Characters:

Characters are complex, often embodying dark traits due to their turbulent pasts, with a mix of sympathetic and morally ambiguous figures.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by rich world-building and emotional depth, skillfully balancing dark themes with engaging prose.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative explores a complex, dark fantasy world with themes of power dynamics, child abuse, and prophecy, centering on a young girl destined to restore order.

Setting:

The setting features a unique, intricate world structured around a matriarchal society, combining elements of both historical and fantastical influences.

Pacing:

The pacing starts slow, focusing on character and world-building before escalating into intense, interwoven narratives.
Lucivar Yaslana, the Eyrien half-breed, watched the guards drag the sobbing man to the boat. He felt no sympathy for the condemned man who had led the aborted slave revolt. In the Territory called Pru...

Notes:

Daughter of the Blood is the first book in the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop.
The story is set in a dark fantasy world where women have power as witches and men are often enslaved.
Characters wear jeweled rings that determine their power levels, with black jewels being the most powerful.
The book features complex relationships between characters, including themes of abuse and power dynamics.
The main character, Jaenelle, is prophesied to be a powerful witch who will restore order to the broken realm.
Daemon, a key character, suffers from being a pleasure slave due to his powers and often struggles with his sadistic tendencies.
Saetan, a guardian in the story, is a high lord living a monotonous life until he encounters the young witch Jaenelle.
The series is known for its dark themes, including sexual violence and child abuse, which are addressed throughout the narrative.
Despite its heavy content, readers find the world-building and character development captivating and immersive.
Anne Bishop's writing style balances dark and light moments, providing depth to the characters and their relationships.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include heavy themes of abuse, sexual violence, and trauma, making it suitable for mature audiences only.

Has Romance?

While romance plays a significant role, it features complex and often dark relationships.

From The Publisher:

In the first novel in New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop's beloved Black Jewels Trilogy, a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels will meet their once and future queen…

Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions. Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence-and corruption.

Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men-sworn enemies-know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love-and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining…

Ratings (42)

Incredible (11)
Loved It (19)
Liked It (4)
It Was OK (3)
Did Not Like (4)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (88):

Read It (40)
Want To Read (39)
Not Interested (9)

2 comment(s)

Did Not Like
4 months

I read so much that I need to review sth immediately or I lose my arguments. That's what happened here. However, the emotions usually stay, just as much as any "after-action". In this case I can say, confidently, that I didn't like (didn't hate it, but wasn't super positive either. Like 2*). Why? I feel a "meh" - stupid names, weird magic system with the gems, didn't like the MC's) and more importantly: I never made a single move to buy/ read more Bishop. For someone who spends any leftover cent on books and who at least knows or recognises previously enjoyed authors, that's a red flag.

 
It Was OK
7 months

I have some mixed feelings about this book.

First, there are some really dark parts I'm not sure I liked. The story includes some difficult subjects like sex slaves and some other, much darker ones. It wasn't an easy read because of that. I didn't expect an easy read but still those parts are much darker than I like. Like the sexual desire to have a child.

Than there is this complicated universe created by the author that I completely don't understand. There are some kingdoms ruled by Queens but I don't understand who is where or how they are related. It is possible to travel using the Web but I don't understand what does it mean in fact. Or how the Blood ones differ from Witches. And so on. The author even tries to explain some things but they are so complex that it doesn't help.

Finally, there are all those characters you don't know in fact. Or you don't like. Except for Daemon and Saetan we don't know them. We even don't know Jaenelle. Again, I don't think I understand who she really is or what is her mission. Also, I wish there is more Yasi in this story, more of the interaction between him and Daemon.

I am going to read the next book in this series but I don't feel like doing this right now.

 

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop is a winner of the William L. Crawford Memorial Fantasy Award, presented by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, for The Black Jewels Trilogy. She is the author of the Novels of the Others…

 
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