Shalador's Lady: A Black Jewels Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Anne Bishop
Publisher: Roc Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 46010
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 496
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.6
ISBN: 0451463153
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780451463159
ASIN: 0451463153
Publication Date: March 2, 2010
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Return to the "intense...erotic...and imaginative" (Nancy Kress) world of the national bestselling Black Jewels novels in this sequel to The Shadow Queen.
For years the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, forbidding their traditions, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. Now that their land has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, makes it her duty to restore it and prove her ability to rule.
But even if Lady Cassidy succeeds, other dangers await. For the Black Widows see visions within their tangled webs that something is coming that will change the land-and Lady Cassidy-forever...
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 36
 Thanks, Anne, Once Again! March 2, 2010
klmeri
27 out of 28 found this review helpful
Shalador's Lady is tightly packed with the missing action from the previous book, because now is the time for our characters to dig in and fight for who they want to rule Dena Nehele. That's right... another Queen from Kaeleer stirs things up. There are three divisions in this book: Cassidy and her Court, Kermilla and those who want her, and the sideline observers--the SaDiablo family and some important rulers of Kaeleer. The reader builds a deeper understanding of the ruling system of the Blood and which lines are not to be crossed. How involved should outside help be in the influencing a Territory, especially when that Territory is straining under a tug-of-war for leadership? How to fight for land and people without decimating what's left with war? There are hard decisions to be made, in order to accomplish the original premise of The Shadow Queen--restoring faith and the Old Ways of the Blood to weary and wary survivors of Dena Nehele. Fascinating, how this plays out.
****
One side comment, perhaps a spoiler warning...
Finally Anne gives us an antagonist that is not so utterly evil, the reader wants her dead by the second page. Kermilla is like a young Scarlett O'Hara--petty, selfish, and good at using her feminine wiles to get her way--the kind of perfect prey that the late Dorothea would have carefully corrupted. Essentially Kermilla is a little brat who utterly fails at proper Queen duties. It is painful to watch her jolly around Grayhaven, ruining the tentative hope of the people, and even more painful to watch Theran let her do it. Theran, who by the end of The Shadow Queen seemed to be redeemable as Cassie's First Escort, but completely disappoints everyone (the reader included) by losing his sense when Kermilla comes to town... because she is HIS Queen and ultimately the one he feels should rule Dena Nehele. We get insight into the old taint of Terreille--what happens when a decent Warlord Prince belongs to a not-so-decent Queen? Theran ends up balanced on this precarious edge, with one praying he'll lose the blinders and take the high road for the good of his people.
****
This book is a fulfilling conclusion to The Shadow Queen. It may, however, be slightly confusing in some parts for readers who do not have background knowledge of the previous books. I emphasize this simply because Anne drops some large "THERE'S A STORY HERE!" hints for her next (anthology) book, but they would make no sense without knowing the characters, who's involved, and why.
If you are a major fan, you won't be disappointed. There is a little less character-delving than in The Shadow Queen, and a refreshing and enlightening way to see the SaDiablo family from an outsider perspective. As much as one loves the SaDiablos... most of the Blood just will not have that intimate understanding of them. Of course, that doesn't mean you won't have fun watching Gray and Ranon deal with the most powerful family of the Blood and laugh to your heart's content.
Anne certainly does justice to her characters, and she never fails to give her readers little golden moments to treasure.
The Web Spun At It's Very Best! March 6, 2010
A. R. Davidson (Dallas, TX USA)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
It is a tall order to inject a new storyline into an established setting with long-standing characters, without the inevitable complaint there is too much/too little of the old/new characters. This was evidenced by many of the comments offered by readers of The Shadow Queen, Ms. Bishop's last book in the Black Jewels series. Shalador's Lady does an absolutely EXCELLENT job of incorporating old characters, introducing new ones, and developing the principal players of The Shadow Queen in the continuation of the story of Dena Nehele.
The foundation of this story, developed in The Invisible Ring, once again gives us characters whose power is not overwhelming to the point of running roughshod over their adversaries. Instead, we see Cassidy, Shira, Ranon, and Jared Blaed all dealing with vulnerabilities throughout the book, not always making the right decision or saying the right words, but developing the wisdom to grow into their roles of leadership over time. Especially intriguing is the interaction between Ranon, Gray, and Talon; their relationship with Theran takes all down painful paths, but paths that ultimately lead to the rebirth of their land. The continued development of a history of the Shalador people by describing customs, interweaving the costs paid to maintain a sense of history and dignity, and finally their emergence from dormancy was a major strength of this book. In another Invisible Ring tip of the hat, injecting the Fire Dance and the names of Eryk, Garth, and Brok were appreciated by this reader.
At the same time, the continued presence of the SaDiablo family still remains at the heart of the Black Jewels storyline. I believe the the interaction of both Blood Triangles featured in this book (Black Jewels fans will know what this means) was superb. Jaenelle's small revelation of what Twilight's Dawn is capable of; Lucivar's own personal crisis; the return of Tersa, Sylvia, Morghann, Karla, Sabrina, Surreal, and especially Ladvarian, Jaal, and Kaelas were well-timed, well-handled, and creatively done. As always, the team of Saetan/Daemon can be intense, thought-provoking, or downright hilarious, sometimes within the same paragraph. The meeting at the Keep between the "former" members of Jaenelle's court was a great example of how well this story was constructed; this was not a rushed dialogue; instead, we are treated to 7 pages of thoughtfully-constructed storyline that fits nicely in the theme of the book.
On a final note, two new characters stood out in this book for me: Julien, Theran's butler, reminded me of what Daemon Sadi would be like if he was a house servant; and Prince Darkmist, who as of right now has the best "kill" scene described in any Black Jewels book I've read. That description alone was (almost) worth the price of the book. This tangled web has symmetry, beauty, and brains. A winner all-around.
A real pleasure for this fan March 8, 2010
Janie Iverson (Kentucky)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
For reasons that are unimportant I was terribly sleep deprived the day I expected this book to come in the mail. I stayed awake a few more hours to make sure the mailman didn't take the book back because there was no one (awake) to open the door and receive the package. When I finally got it, although badly needing to sleep I wanted to just read the first chapter. That was it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I laughed (a lot), cried, and was even wrought into a vengeful fury over what happened to Khollie.
One of the things I found especially interesting is that the "bad guys" of this book were a lot more complex than in the Black Jewels Trilogy. Dorothea and Heketah were so evil that it made them one-dimensional. As objects of hate, they are entirely successful characters. I can honestly say that there are no other characters in any book or movie that I hate more. But in Shalador's Lady we have Theran who is an honorable man who makes mistakes - doing the wrong thing for the right reason. He wants what is best for his people and does it in the worst ways. Kermilla, as another reviewer accurately put it, is like Scarlett O'Hara - selfish and immature. But fortunately for the South, Scarlett never had the power over people's lives that Kermilla does as a queen over two villages in Kaeleer, and the power she has in Dena Nehele through Theran. I actually find Kermilla to be fairly stupid for not understanding the consequences of her actions, but love how she is handled in the end.
What I enjoyed most however, was to see how Cassidy and her court were able to improve the lot of the people - what they did and how they did it. After reading the Black Jewels Trilogy and seeing how Shalador and Dena Nehele and their people were destroyed, it was a pleasure to see the beginning of their restoration. Every improvement in the lives of the people was a victory. And again, reading about the kindred is a favorite. Vae was one of my favorite characters in the Shadow Queen, and the addition of her family and friends in this book added to the fun.
Other reviewers mentioned that this book is more for the fans and would be confusing to a new reader to the series. I can see how this would be true, but for me (a big fan of the series), every entrance of an old character like Surreal or Khardeen or Ladvarian was like running into an old friend I didn't expect to see - exciting and a real pleasure.
Shalador's Lady March 4, 2010
bookgrrl1976
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This latest installment of the BJT is just wonderful. This book is rife with pain, love, growth and acceptance. We are given ample looks into the Dark realm- this time with special appearances by many of Jaenelle's First Circle.
Shalador's Lady begins with Theran being a pig-headed @ss again. I admit, I read the first three or so chapters literally telling the book "um, Theran, been there, done that... I thought you'd moved on?" Well, no. He didn't. By chapter five, I was really hoping that he would receive his comeuppance and that it would be painful.
I disagree with the other reviewer's assessment that Kermilla wasn't a villain to hate. Scarlett O'Hara didn't go out of her way to steal, be ugly to her fellow man/woman, and demand more from people who were under her control. I found her to be more than vapid, petty, and spoiled. She was the epitome of how every other petty, spoiled and b*tchy Queen got started and started Terreille on the road to destruction. She was the catalyst for several men's deaths, for Pete's sake.
Cassidy is still working through her one year contract in Shalador. She has found a home and she loves it within the Dena Nehele realm. She is forced to grow more comfortable in her Queenly skin and she does it- with aplomb.
Theran Blaed/Gray has also grown- he becomes the man that he should have been. He doesn't pull any punches when it comes to dealing with Theran or his Lady.
I loved the evolution this book brings to the change in Dena Nehele. There were glimpses of acceptance in The Shadow Queen, when Cassidy draws the line in the landen village. Shalador's Lady is almost a tidal wave of acceptance compared to TSQ. Shalador's Lady is rich with Bishop's world building abilities- you can almost see the villages taking shape and building. There is such an overwhelming sense of rightness at the end that, if Bishop were to end this series today, the reader knows that all will eventually be well.
Well, as well as it can be with Bishop's world... where some not-so-good Queens are hiding in plain sight. ;0)
Touching and Enthralling March 5, 2010
B. Osinski (Arlington, VA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The flow of this book was fantastic! I did not enjoy the parts about Daemon and Janelle in The Shadow Queen, and they were a bit annoying at the beginning of this book, but they quickly melded with the rest to give a heartwarming and fantastic story.
Perhaps the greatest thing about this book was how the conflict was handled, I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but there is very little to be upset at in the way things were handled during the book. There was definitely conflict in the book, but the antagonist of the book wasn't evil so much as self-indulgent and greedy.
I felt like I was in Cassy's shoes and felt that I grew as a person as she was. Her court was brilliant and the added touch of the additional Scelties was brilliant. Anne Bishop has a line right to my empathy bone and I couldn't help but tear up at the plethora of emotions that were present.
I would place this book on the same pedestal as the original three Black Jewels books, a brilliant read that I will certainly revisit.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 36
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