"A great trilogy! Recommend you get all three!"
Ages before there was a prophecy. A girl would come, a
woman who would wreak havoc across the realms, who would be
more than Blood, more than just witch-she would be dreams
made flesh, the Queen of Darkness. Centuries after the
fateful prophecy is made, the Realms hover on the brink of
madness. The Blood witches have become cruel and hateful,
the Blood males little more than fodder beneath their
heels. Among the sadistic wander two males, strong and
unbroken. Men who heard the prophecy and are living only
for the arrival of a witch that, it seems more and more
likely, they will not live to see. Daemon Sadi, known as
the Sadist, makes no secret of the fact he despises the
woman who holds him. Bound with a Ring of Obedience, he
cannot escape evil, scheming Dorothea forever. but where
her fear hinders her, his hatred pushes him onward. Death
follows in his wake, and none but he know the hunger deep
in his soul for a witch he's never met. Proud Lucivar
Yaslana lives in captivity, too, though his is more
torturous. Half-Eyrien, he belongs in the skies, not
chained at the command of some witless woman. Brother to
Daemon, he too has survived only because he thinks of the
changes that, it has been promised, will come in his
lifetime. In the midst of despair comes a small girl-child, a being
of enchanting mystery. Young, untaught, her power is such
that she can leap from Realm to Realm, unthinking. She
travels from Territory to Territory, from the land of the
living to the land of the dead, and leaves friends wherever
she goes. Could this be the witch that so many have waited
for so faithfully? Truth is held secret, and as the dark
story is told a chilling tale unfolds. Evil is stalking
young Jaenelle, evil that she cannot fight, and will not
allow others to see. Could the last, best hope of all the
Realms be destroyed before she is even full grown? DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD is the first volume in Anne Bishop's
acclaimed Black Jewels trilogy, the beginning of a dark
story of death, pain, abuse and, ultimately, hope. It is
also a hauntingly tragic story of a land and people on the
brink of destruction and despair. Bishop's prose is
beautifully rich and evocative, and her world-building
nothing less than spectacular. The caste-dependant world of
the Blood is easily understandable and wonderfully
depicted. Characterization is phenomenal-Jaenelle and her
friends and teachers don't simply live on the page, but
reach beyond it. Romance readers will find of particular
interest the cultural bond between a Blood female and Blood
males-bonds of duty and protection, though in this volume
such bonds are mostly perverted. There is also a strong
romance between Jaenelle and Daemon, but it remains
(mostly) unfulfilled at the end of the volume. Funny,
witty, and fantastically compelling, DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD
is a treat for any fantasy reader and is an especially
scrumptious diversion if you like your fantasy with a bit
of romance in it. One suggestion, though: if you're going to read the
trilogy, my strongest suggestion would be to hunt down all
three at once, so that you're not waiting for the next
volume's arrival. NOTE: DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD, like its sequels, contains
scenes and depictions that sensitive readers might find
might objectionable, including but not limited to child
abuse, torture and graphic death scenes. Bishop also flirts
with a child-adult romance, which may disturb some readers. Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted April 2, 2004
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted November 19, 2006
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