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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
And so it all comes to an end... Again?
Were faced with a reckoning, a single generation later the taint has returned to the land and brings with it temptations for Sadi and Surreal's not so young daughter Jaenelle, wanting to throw off the shackles of expectations of her namesake Janelle eagerly falls under the influence of yet another group of scheming women and the hunt is back on.
Was anything resolved? We got the reckoning and punishment of yet another bad batch, Briarwood the pretty poison returns yet again and there's punishment but I was left feeling somewhat deflated.
It was like everything people were up in arms about was carefully unpicked and "fixed", Surreal's role as wife dissected into its parts and Jaenelle somehow becoming a bleeting idiot, I got my as always adrenalin rush of anger, frustration and anticipation of things to come, only to realise I was only 40% in and had at least another 50% of seemingly more and more illogical decisions to go.
I can't regret reading these books, as much as these two books have baffled me, it's been lovely to be reunited with some old characters, I just hope this is the end to it all.
Were faced with a reckoning, a single generation later the taint has returned to the land and brings with it temptations for Sadi and Surreal's not so young daughter Jaenelle, wanting to throw off the shackles of expectations of her namesake Janelle eagerly falls under the influence of yet another group of scheming women and the hunt is back on.
Was anything resolved? We got the reckoning and punishment of yet another bad batch, Briarwood the pretty poison returns yet again and there's punishment but I was left feeling somewhat deflated.
It was like everything people were up in arms about was carefully unpicked and "fixed", Surreal's role as wife dissected into its parts and Jaenelle somehow becoming a bleeting idiot, I got my as always adrenalin rush of anger, frustration and anticipation of things to come, only to realise I was only 40% in and had at least another 50% of seemingly more and more illogical decisions to go.
I can't regret reading these books, as much as these two books have baffled me, it's been lovely to be reunited with some old characters, I just hope this is the end to it all.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Toxic friendship, Classism
Minor: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault
Fair warning, it's brutal. Not as brutal as Daughter of the Blood, but it holds its own. There's plenty of moments where you'll have to walk away to keep from hurling the book/device in sheer frustration, but it is worth it.
Unfortunately 2021 is a hard year for me to read, so it took over two months for me to really start reading this book even though I opened it two months ago. When I managed to start reading, it took only two days to finish. You will want to have read every single Black Jewels book prior to this one, possibly recently. Anne's writing is so easy to read and devour. Her topics are not unless you are prepared for them. Her themes remain unchanged.
fast-paced
I hate to say it but this one was better. Like by the standards of Bishop’s writing. This was enjoyable? Surreal was much more in character, and while it did have a tendency to read like a nextgen fanfic, it also was like, fun. It was fun. There was even a smidgen of moral complexity! (Not much though.) Questions arise about Jaenelle but like, what else is new.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was another amazing book in the series, it feels very full circle in a way. So many hard moments, but some really great ones as well!
-either 3-4 stars. it wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't the book i wanted. and i ended up *seriously* hating jaenelle satien. i'd rather read offshoot books about side characters than ever read about jaenelle satien again.
"that's hitting below the belt."
"that was where the truth, when it was inconvenient, usually hit."
"wounded. as if she needed to apologize of anything that she wanted for herself or for anything that might inconvenience someone else."
"he does manage to say 'i'm the prick with the biggest balls' even when he doesn't use any of those words."
"if you had forced me to follow the choice you knew was better for me instead of accepting the path that had been my choice? i would have hated you, especially once i realized you were right."
"i can hear you."
"can you? you're eyes aren't open."
"funny thing about eyriens. we don't hear with our eyes."
"hmm. aren't healers supposed to know the difference between eyes and ears?"
"same number of letters, and both words start with e. not that hard to confuse one with the other."
"yes, yes, adolescent drama. big, big feelings that can't consider someone else's struggle because yours are the only feelings that count. you said things you knew would hurt, but you expected her to get over them as soon as it was convenient for you. it doesn't always work that way. sometimes wounds go too deep, and you can't fix the harm you've done."
summary: Warlord Princes are the Queen's Weapons, men born to destroy the queen's enemies. this book is more about jaenelle satien, daughter of daemon and surreal, and daemonar, son of lucivar and nephew to daemon. daemonar is growing up to be a good person, and to become one of the queens weapons. and jaenelle satien however is a spoiled snobby little bitch who wants to feel high and mighty and special. she falls in with a nasty group of people who feel the same and lord it over others. and eventually the queens weapons, daemon, lucivar, and daemonar are forced to take action. i feel the punishment jaenelle satien gets in the end isn't enough, there should have been more. and i dislike the jaenelle angelline and jaenelle satien names.
"that's hitting below the belt."
"that was where the truth, when it was inconvenient, usually hit."
"wounded. as if she needed to apologize of anything that she wanted for herself or for anything that might inconvenience someone else."
"he does manage to say 'i'm the prick with the biggest balls' even when he doesn't use any of those words."
"if you had forced me to follow the choice you knew was better for me instead of accepting the path that had been my choice? i would have hated you, especially once i realized you were right."
"i can hear you."
"can you? you're eyes aren't open."
"funny thing about eyriens. we don't hear with our eyes."
"hmm. aren't healers supposed to know the difference between eyes and ears?"
"same number of letters, and both words start with e. not that hard to confuse one with the other."
"yes, yes, adolescent drama. big, big feelings that can't consider someone else's struggle because yours are the only feelings that count. you said things you knew would hurt, but you expected her to get over them as soon as it was convenient for you. it doesn't always work that way. sometimes wounds go too deep, and you can't fix the harm you've done."
summary: Warlord Princes are the Queen's Weapons, men born to destroy the queen's enemies. this book is more about jaenelle satien, daughter of daemon and surreal, and daemonar, son of lucivar and nephew to daemon. daemonar is growing up to be a good person, and to become one of the queens weapons. and jaenelle satien however is a spoiled snobby little bitch who wants to feel high and mighty and special. she falls in with a nasty group of people who feel the same and lord it over others. and eventually the queens weapons, daemon, lucivar, and daemonar are forced to take action. i feel the punishment jaenelle satien gets in the end isn't enough, there should have been more. and i dislike the jaenelle angelline and jaenelle satien names.
I think that this novel had a bit of a pacing issue, but I think it was a solid story in the Black Jewels series.
No rating because I picked this up thinking it was the first in a series but it’s actually #11. Going to try the first book