Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop - a Review

Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop - a Review

Continuing with our Anne Bishop feature this month, we move on to the second book of the Black Jewels series.... ”Heir to the Shadows”.

After I finished reading this book, I needed time to put my thoughts together, before I wrote this review. This book totally blew me away, and I needed to re-read some it again before I could attempt to write this. I loved this book, as many of you already know, as I have been telling everyone this as I was reading it. So here we go.

Daughter of the Blood, left off with a good ending, but somewhat of a cliffhanger. Heir to the Shadows picks up pretty much where it left off. There were such great characters in Daughter of the Blood, but this book introduces even more great characters whom you will come to enjoy. “Heir to the Shadows” belongs to Jaenelle, as she is still healing and matures along the way. You will marvel at her powers, that even shock Saetan, who is one of the most powerful, if not the most. Except for the evil ones, and there are always evil ones in fantasy, everyone loves Jaenelle. But that being the case, her life is always in danger, especially since she is still young, even now at 17. The beginning finally brings together Saetan, with the daughter of his soul, as he becomes her father…by choice.

I can’t say enough about Anne Bishop, how she takes us on this adventure, through the dark parts, and brings forth all the love between Jaenelle, Saetan, the rest of those who make up her new family. As Jaenelle continues to heal, her friends come forth to spend the summer with her. The friends you never saw her visiting secretly in the first book, but knew she was meeting them all. Meeting them (the coven) was a joy, that made this book so special, and an incredible trip. The more you read, the more you became absorbed with the feelings, and thoughts of each character. You laugh at Saetan’s reactions to her friends & to Jaenelle; his fears for Jaenelle on seeing her powers; you enjoy the banter between her friends, as well feeling their affection; you cry at some of terrible things done to her kindred or sacrifices along the way. Bravo, Anne Bishop for bringing a range of emotion throughout this book. Amazing.

Finally, almost midway, Lucivar comes forth and becomes a major part in the book. Daemon has a small role in this book, but we know somehow, someway he will return in the next one. Loved Lucivar, who loved Jaenelle from afar, hardly knowing her, while imprisoned and suffering; but he becomes the big brother & protector that will always stand by her, even if she does have so many.

Where the first book was more dark and much torture, this book lightens up a lot, though again it must have its cruel events, and dark villains, it is still an easier and great read. Sometimes second books of trilogies are not as good as the first, but this one to me continued the storyline and growth of Jaenelle so well, it surpassed the first book, and leads to the last book. The last 1/3 of the book was sensational, very exciting, with heart shattering moments that pull you so deep into the story, that you feel you are experiencing it. As much as I love Jaenelle, Saetan is such a wonderful character. Watching him love her, laugh at her, worry about her, and fear losing her, take the teasing from her friends or Lucivar, and he is the High Lord of Hell. Anne Bishop totally changes the world of darkness in this series. What a joy to read such great characters.

Ok, I have to pull myself away from “Heir to the Shadows” and move on to Queen of the Darkness, where they all have to come together to defeat the evil that is still awaiting them, and as far as I am concerned, there is payback due.

Barb