That was totally creepy, and not really in a fun way. I must not have read the description very well because I wasn't expecting it to be so torture-y and let's be real, super rape-y. ( )

Not as bad as I remembered. Total trash. I can't in good conscience recommend this to anybody, unless if you're looking for fantastical romance pulp. ( )

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 Trilogy 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. ( )

The world Anne Bishop creates with this book is passionate, magical, and violent -- definitely not for the faint of heart. The villains are thoroughly corrupt, and express it through vicious sexual abuse, humiliation, and the disfigurement and/or murder of those who displease them. Fortunately, most of the details are kept offstage. Bishop wants to condemn these practices, not wallow in them.

In contrast, those who hold true to the deepest ideals of the Blood navigate the same fierce passions and command of magical powers by scrupulous commitment to Protocol, the intricate rules that bind extremely dangerous men and women into a society whose fundamental ideal is service.

Jaenelle, the focus of this series, is only eight when the story begins, and the plot is as much about those who become her protectors and allies as it is about her. She is a mysterious, powerful, vulnerable child, a vessel for powers beyond comprehension. But Bishop still managers to make her believable as a child.

I like the second and third books in this series better, but the first is still a worthwhile read and introduction to the world of the Blood. ( )

This is one of those books where I went 'oh, this'll be a quick read' because I didn't know what I was getting into. And then I devoured this and the rest of the series in the space of like a week. I could not put them down. This is one of those series where I know if I'd read it as a teenager I would have gone out of my mind in love with the characters. It's so delicious and dark. ( )