Monday, February 8, 2010

Heir to the Shadows (Black Jewels, Book 2) - Anne Bishop

Description~
In Heir to the Shadows, Jaenelle's vampiric, adoptive father, Saetan, and her foster-family of demons shelter her. To restore her memory and emotional balance, they move to Kaeleer, where Jaenelle befriends the kindred--animals with magical and communicative powers--and gathers a circle of young Queens. She also heals Lucivar, Daemon's half-brother, who offers a brother's love and a warrior's fealty. As she recovers strength and memory, Jaenelle resolves to restore Daemon and cleanse Terreille.

Gosh…it seems like it’s taken me FOREVER to get back to these books! Now that I’ve dug back in im 100% addicted! ;o)

Last time we left Janelle she was tainted by being raped in that horrible hospital where her family sent her. We also lost both our men (Daemon and Lusivar) to prisons. Daemon is lost in the Twisted Kingdom while Lusivar is in the salt mines wilting away.

We open up the story with Janelle still being damaged by coming to Cassandra’s alter in book one where she almost died. She fled for her life and shut out everyone refusing to come back into her own world. Finally they get Janelle well enough to come back to her own body yet we still see her damaged psychologically. Janelle is now under Setans care and he is determined to heal her emotional scars by bringing in her friends form the different worlds she has visited. At this point we get to see a ton of different characters that are both colorful and funny! Watching Janelle heal with her friends (that mind you she hasn’t seen in 2 years) was a wonderful experience.

And it was also nice to see some age going into everyone. We finally get to see and hear discussions that are showing Janelle’s age! Sex…boys and even beauty is brought up in this book and to me that really showed how true Bishop was trying to be to a young woman growing up…even if that young woman is growing up around demons and has supernatural powers! ;o) One of my favorite parts is where Setans catches Janelle reading a romance book! Lol I lol’d at that part b/c its so refreshing that you see that Janelle has a natural/normal side of just being a girl!

Lucivar ends up breaking out of the salt mines but is determined to find Deamon b/c he thinks that he killed Janelle! He extremely crushed that his Queen he was to serve died by his on brothers hands! He ends up getting hurts and Janelle comes to mend him. Then he realizes his mistake and stays with Janelle to serve her. I loved Janelle and Lucivars relationship! He gave her some tough love at many points of this book! He understood she had been raped but forced her to push through it to be the Queen he knew she needed to be. By the end Janelle (with the help of her family) sets up court!

All in the mean time poor Daemon is still living in the Twisted Kingdom actually LOOKING for Janelle. I think about 5 years passes in this second book so its really sad to bounce back from everyone living their lived then going to Daemon. Daemon feels like he has failed Janelle, the one he loves. Janelle is finally able to track down Daemons body and goes to the Twisted Kingdom to help him out. This part of the book was a big milestone for Janelle and Daemon. She ends up telling him she is the one who failed him and that eh needed to come home! :*) OH also at some point in the book she fights with someone about Daemon and she says he is her MATE! EPP! I got so excited! :o)

Ok well we end the story with Daemon FINALLY coming out of the Twisted Kingdom and Janelle setting up her court (which btw consists of her friends and family) :o). I cant wait for Janelle and Daemon to reunite in the 3rd book! Janelle is older and now she can take her man! ;o)

Its really hard to review these books b/c SO MUCH goes on in them. I did however find that this book was WAY easier to read than the first one. You really have to understand how their world works to understand the meaning of a ton of things in these books. Its NO easy reading…BUT once you grasp it, the effect of the book will leave you wanting more.

I give this book a total of...





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5 comments:

~ames~ said...

I'm glad you liked this and I hope you read the 3rd book soon! And then there's more to read after that! Which I haven't read. LOL I want to reread these books before I continue on.

February 8, 2010 at 4:05 PM
Jill D. said...

Hey Monroe, These books are just wonderful. The characters just come alive and the world building is incredible. But your right, I love how Bishop tries to portray Janelle as a regular girl. Also, I like that Saten is a regular guy as well. Doesn't she get him a sweater for Christmas? That totally cracked me up. You have to read the third one right away!

February 8, 2010 at 4:44 PM
Monroe Dawson said...

Ames-
Ya Ill need to read the third one REALLY soon b/c I cant wait for Daemon and Janelle's bump and grind! LOL!!!

Jill-
She got him the sweater at the opera or something! lol Or wait...maybe when she went shopping but ya I lol'd b/c he was kinda dumbfounded by her action yet thought it was totally sweet. Youre very right Setan is just another man that loves his daughter and would do anything for her! I love these books!

February 8, 2010 at 5:16 PM
Mandi said...

Oh Anne Bishop...such great books. I agree...first book I was like..huh? Until about 1/2 through..lovely review:)

February 9, 2010 at 6:09 PM
Monroe Dawson said...

Mandi-
Thanks babycakes! And ya I find it easier the more I read them! lol

February 9, 2010 at 6:27 PM