Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Heir to the Shadows
    Unavailable
    Heir to the Shadows
    Unavailable
    Heir to the Shadows
    Audiobook18 hours

    Heir to the Shadows

    Written by Anne Bishop

    Narrated by John Sharian

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In this violently passionate, "darkly fascinating world," the Blood rule: a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels. Ambitions unfurl in this second novel of The Black Jewels Trilogy, as the realm's dreams of a liberator have finally been made flesh... Jaenelle, singled out by prophecy as the living embodiment of magic, is haunted by the cruel battles the Blood have fought over her-for not all of them await her as their Savior. Nothing, however, can deflect her from her destiny-and the day of reckoning looms near. When her memories return. When her magic matures. When she is forced to accept her fate. On that day, the dark Realms will know what it means to be ruled by Witch.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 7, 2007
    ISBN9781101100363
    Unavailable
    Heir to the Shadows
    Author

    Anne Bishop

    Anne Bishop is the bestselling author of the Black Jewels series, the Tir Alainn Trilogy and the Landscapes of Ephemera series. Her novels are published in Australia, Germany, the UK and Portugal, as well as the United States. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading and music.

    Related to Heir to the Shadows

    Related audiobooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      'Queen Of The Conquered' Serves Revenge With Delicacy And Savagery

      Nov 14, 2019

      In their new novel, Kacen Callender builds a vast, immersive landscape based on the colonial history of the Caribbean, but it's their morally conflicted heroine who will really hook readers.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Trials Of Mana

      Apr 7, 2020

      Trials Of Mana
      2 min read

    • Article

      Obsidian

      Jan 26, 2022

      RELEASED OUT NOW! 360 pages | Paperback/ebook Author Sarah J Daley Publisher Angry Robot Books Blood is the wellspring of magic in this fantasy debut. In the land of Malavita, mystical shields called Veils keep the corrosive Blight at bay, but no one

      1 min read

    • Article

      5 New Fantasy Novels Invigorate Old Tropes

      May 18, 2023

      Spell books, dragons, mermaids, fairies and a magic circus all take on new life in the pages of these five enchanting tales hitting shelves in May and June.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Real Magical

      Jun 25, 2020

      Real Magical
      2 min read

    • Article

      Real Magical

      Aug 3, 2020

      Real Magical
      2 min read

    • Article

      'Mirage' Is A YA Marvel That Weds Sci-fi With Courtly Intrigue

      Sep 25, 2018

      Somaiya Daud's debut novel sets the story of a court rebellion in a Moroccan space fantasy.

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Witcher

      Dec 31, 2020

      The Witcher
      1 min read

    • Article

      Unraveller

      Sep 7, 2022

      ▸RELEASED OUT NOW! 496 pages | Hardback/ebook/audiobook ▸Author Frances Hardinge ▸Publisher Macmillan Children’s Books Curses grow like wild flowers in this beautifully written fantasy novel about a land blighted by vengeance. This is a world where m

      1 min read

    • Article

      Real Magical

      Jul 14, 2020

      Real Magical
      2 min read

    • Article

      I’ll Have None of You: Reconsidering the Female Death Drive

      Mar 28, 2018

      On its most visceral level, Leila Slimani’s The Perfect Nanny is about infanticide: “The baby is dead,” we read on its very first line. What could possibly jar after that? But this literary blockbuster (Chanson Douce, or “sweet song,” in its original

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Sun And The Void

      Aug 9, 2023

      ▶ RELEASED OUT NOW! 528 pages | Hardback/ebook ▶ Author Gabriela Romero Lacruz ▶ Publisher Daphne Press → Two women search for belonging and self-worth in the first volume of new series The Warring Gods. Gabriela Romero Lacruz crafts a complicated wo

      1 min read

    • Article

      No Smiting Norse Mythology

      Mar 25, 2023

      No Smiting Norse Mythology
      3 min read

    • Article

      Diablo IV

      May 2, 2023

      Diablo IV
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Witcher

      Dec 27, 2019

      OUT NOW (NETFLIX) EPISODES VIEWED 5 OF 8 SHOWRUNNER Lauren Schmidt Hissrich CAST Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra PLOT Itinerant monster hunter Geralt of Rivia (Cavill) roams the countryside slaying beasts for coin while being reviled by

      2 min read

    • Article

      Tale As Old As Time: The Dark Appeal of 'Beauty And The Beast'

      Mar 26, 2017

      Disney's new live-action extravaganza is just the latest retelling of this classic fairy tale. But why do Beauty and her Beast have such a hold on us? And why are there so many versions of their tale?

      4 min read

    Reviews for Heir to the Shadows

    4/5

    790 ratings35 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      The second volume of the Black Jewels Trilogy picks up right where the first left off and follows Saetan, Daemon, Lucivar and Jaenelle through the next eight years.These books are literary crack. The prose is not, perhaps, quite so deathless as it could be, and I've still got some issues with the gender stuff and the longevity, but none of that matters. I had the time of my life reading them.I mean, I read this in a day. (By which I mean that it took me about twenty-eight hours). I couldn't put it down. I didn't even bother to force myself to take breaks. I read as much as I could throughout the day. I surrendered my evening to Anne Bishop. I didn't willingly close the thing until it was done.As was the case with DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD, it's all down to the characters. We spend a lot more time with Saetan this time around, and I've become even fonder of him. He's so completely unlike what you'd expect. His world is pretty domestic, and I loved getting to see the household just being. Their idea of "just being" is pretty different from everyone else's, so there's still plenty of excitement and tension and all that jazz, but it's a far cry from the sweeping, epic stuff going on in the background. That sweeping, epic stuff isn't the focus here at all. We (by which I mean I) aren't so concerned with the world at large as we are with this family and everything that goes down between them.We also get a whole lot more of Lucivar, which is a damned good thing. He's a total prick, and I love the hell out of him. I'm pretty sure I'd loathe him in real life, but on paper? On paper, he's gold. Despite my intense reaction to it, I've got to admit that I didn't initially enjoy this as much as DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD. Lucivar's appearance changed that. He launched me straight into OMG I LOVE THIS!1!!ONE1!!1!! territory.The only charactery downside was that Daemon played a much smaller role this time around. There are good reasons, but I still missed him.I feel like I ought to say something else, something deep and meaningful, but I'm afraid I can't. They may be dark and twisted and painful, but these books have been pure fun for me. I'm a total sucker for stuff that rips my heart out and stomps on it. You know that bouncy feeling you get when you're reading something really enjoyable, like you're having such a great time you could just float away? Yeah? That's me with these books. They haven't really given me any deeper issues to consider, but I'm having a wonderful time with these characters and their story. I highly recommend them to you.(A longer, gushier version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
    • 4/5
      Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.It took me a full year to build up the courage to listen to HEIR TO THE SHADOWS after being thoroughly traumatized by book 1. I really love Anne Bishop’s THE OTHERS series, and I’m a firm believer in second chances when it comes to authors, so after twelve months of mental preparation, here we go again. It’s with a massive sigh of relief that I write this review because A) no nightmares & B) this installment was a vast improvement upon the previous one. It was slow paced, and was more about the dialogue than the action, but we’re definitely getting somewhere.This novel concentrated on Jaenelle’s road to recovery; after two years in a coma, she must battle her way back to sanity, and then take the necessary steps in order to become the Queen she was meant to be. The story followed Angelline from the age of twelve to twenty, so it’s best to minimize the number of sessions spent reading this book in order to avoid confusing the timeline. Lots of character development takes place, both where the protagonist was concerned as well as the secondaries, and all of the chess pieces were brought to the fore, including the kindred—wolves, unicorns & dragons!Even though THE BLACK JEWELS series now has nine volumes under its wing, it was originally a trilogy, so this installment felt like it was the limbo between books 1 & 3 which explains its lack of major intrigue. By the end of this novel everything was in place for an earth-shaking payoff, except the love interest. Daemon Sadi was off in cuckoo land, but other than that I was able to better appreciate Bishop’s Dark Fantasy because this story was minus the truly heinous tidbits; however that doesn’t mean that the author dons kid gloves. Every character is still fair game.John Sharian’s narration didn’t creep me out nearly as much as it did in DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD. I still question the producer’s decision to go with a male voice for this series, but Angelline’s entourage is a sausage fest, so with the more disturbing aspects behind us, he’s growing on me. Sharian’s ominous tone actually worked to his advantage when he mimicked Jaenelle’s ‘midnight voice’, and I thought that he was reasonably adept at keeping the plethora of personas separate, although he does goof on occasion, and slips into his staple timbre when he shouldn’t.HEIR TO THE SHADOWS was almost good. I’m eager for Anne Bishop to bring it home with QUEEN OF THE DARKNESS. ~ 3.5 stars
    • 5/5
      This is the second book in the Black Jewels series. It covers about eight hears of Jaenelle Angelline's life as she goes from a raped and traumatized twelve-year-old to a twenty year old high Queen. It also continues the story of two of the men who will be important to her: Daemon Sadi who is lost with a fragmented mind and Lucivar Yaslana who is an Eyrien Warlord Prince imprisoned in a salt mine. Jaenelle is under the guardianship of Saetan who is the High Lord of Hell. He petitioned the Council for that right but now has to deal with a Dark Council that is being subtly manipulated by an old enemy of his who will do anything to bring him down and gain control of Jaenelle.Meanwhile, Jaenelle is healing and learning and gathering her friends together. She is also driving Saetan crazy with her enthusiastic actions. Whatever she does though is done from a kind heart and a desire to do well by her people. She doesn't want to form her own court which is the fate of most young Queens once they embrace their jewels. She doesn't want control over other people's lives. Jaenelle is a very, very powerful witch, black widow, and queen who controls the most powerful black jewels. She does things no other witches or magic users know how to do. However, she has trouble with the basic things that most young magic users learn to do first.I loved watching Jaenelle grow into herself and her powers. I loved her relationship with her guardian Saetan. This is a well-crafted world filled with interesting creatures.
    • 5/5
      I don't know how I could not have reviewed this sooner. I have read this book numerous times and every single time it grabs me and pulls me in. This series is incredible. The world Ms. Bishop created is magical and it is dark. This series is not for the faint of heart but I love the realism Ms. Bishop created and the way she isn't afraid to touch on dark disturbing topics. She thrives at making the reader uncomfortable and it works. Her characters are rich, vibrant, and full of life. I expect them to walk in the door and boss me around. They are also very sassy.

      Ms. Bishop weaves a tale perfectly. There isn't an extraneous detail in all of this series and I will continue loving these for many years to come.
    • 5/5
      Jaenelle is healed in body, but her spirit is still damaged. Lucivar is still imprisoned in the salt mines and Daemon walks in the Twisted Kingdom. The second book in the Black Jewels series is just as good as the first and a great continuation of the story.I read this when it first came out and I've reread it many times. Each time I find more to ponder: the role of women and men in a society, the responsibility of our leaders to the land, and the raising of teenagers are all interwoven into the story. This one isn't quite as dark as the first book but has its moments. The world of the Black Jewels is complex. I find it amazing that Ms. Bishop tracks it all so well. I'm also reminded in this reread of characters that are echoed in her latest series of The Others (just as good a series).
    • 4/5
      I was slightly disappointed that Daemon didn't play much of a role in this second book but Lucivar made up for that a little. The premise of men serving women instead of the traditional reverse that you see in many historic settings, regardless if they are fantasy or not, is interesting. It's an extreme, and I was never fully satisfied with the reasoning behind how such came to be, but it does set up the tale nicely because it means the central "good" characters will do something dissimilar, and thus more "fair", and thus appealing to the reader. I was also not really satisfied with the motives behind our "villains". They seemed too unexplained, too superficial. But again, despite all these misgiving, I found I couldn't put the book down. For long books, they were fairly quick reads because of this. That more than anything, gives it it's rating.
    • 5/5
      Awesome book!
    • 4/5
      The Blood have waited centuries for the coming of Witch. The living myth. Dreams made flesh. She who will rule the Darkness. But not all are happy for the arrival of their savior. Some refuse to believe. Others consider her only a myth. And some few look forward to using her, a puppet in their games of control and politics. With time and the love of her family Jeanelle's physical wounds have healed. Her mind is still fragile, threatened by the memories of how her childhood was violently ripped away. And yet destiny calls. The day of reckoning draws near, the day Jeanelle must accept her fate or be driven into the Twisted Kingdom.Heir to the Shadows is the second in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. The story picks up two years after book one ends. Jeanelle has barely survived the violence that threatened to take her life and her power. Her physical wounds have healed. Her frightening memories are mostly kept at bay by amnesia. Her loved ones are afraid to fill in the gaps because they don't know whether she will be able to accept what happened or if it will drive her mad. A semblance of normal life returns. This book becomes more of your typical fantasy fare. While there are still some action sequences, gone is the over the top violence and sexual situations. It also feels a bit more like a middle book that is bridging the gap between the first and final acts. The story slows down significantly and it's pacing plods along in the beginning half as Jeanelle recovers. Things pick up midway through as we learn more of the world and it sets up most of the players for what is yet to come.The first story was set primarily in Terrielle, the Realm of Light. This time the story is mostly set in Kaeleer, the Realm of Shadow. This realm is more Other and more magical than we've seen before. Dorothea's taint and perversion of what it means to be Blood is just stating to spread. It gives us insight into how Terrielle could have been had Dorothea not existed. It's here that we're introduced to the Kindred, animals that are also Blood. They come in all shapes and sizes from centaurs and satyrs to dragons, unicorns and wolves. They are the same and different from human Blood. They have Jewel ranks yet manage to avoid many of the failings that comes with great power for humanity. Unfortunately their form of innocence leaves them open to other influences they're unprepared for. Bishop does a great job of giving each animal its own personality and insight into how other species could think and act if they had magic. The villains begin to move more openly. Dorothea and Hekatah continue to scheme, both together and against each other, each trying acheive her own ends. It is a common fantasy theme of evil starting to turn against and consuming itself that works well in this setting. This is the book where Lucifer comes into his own. We finally learn what it means to be an Eyrien warrior.Events wrap up neatly this time around leaving all characters in place for the finale to come.
    • 4/5
      In Book 2 of Anne Bishops Black Jewel's Trilogy- With Daemon’s help, Janelle has been brought back from the psychic wasteland she had descended into after a vicious attack. Her body has healed and aged a only couple years but her spirit, that which makes her Witch- Dreams Made Flesh and the very embodiment of magic, is fully mature. She is coming into her powers but some things are missing, chief among them- Daemon. (Thinking he killed her body in the process of recovering her mind, Daemon never left the psychic mists after showing Janelle the way out.)Janelle has blocked out much of what happened, and thus has forgotten Daemon. But those around her, not knowing exactly where Daemon is anyway, are not ready to lead her through those forgotten memories, assuming she will come to them on her own when she is ready.Saetan, after challenging the council he helped create for the right to become her Guardian, has stepped up to train and aid her. He would have lost that challenge too if it wasn’t for a magnificent display of power by Janelle that sealed, once and for all, her right to one day become Queen of the Blood.This chapter of the saga gets a bit bogged down in the mire of political intrigue, but with Janelle’s detractors foiled at every turn, we are still led to an ending where all is returned to her- including her consort- and with her throne all but seized, if not yet secure.As this is the “bridge” book, the one that continues to build on what started in Daughter of the Blood and leads us to the happenings in the one to follow, it’s not as exciting as the first and last. But it’s needful to read and just as heart wrenching at times.
    • 4/5
      I got sucked so hard into this series that I ended up reading books two and three in an afternoon. I think that says something on its own. I gave up a whole day to this, rather than the hour or two I like to devote to reading.

      It's funny, too, because the style of the series really annoys the heck out of me. I love the darkness of it -- and I don't mean that it's set in hell with demons and witches and whatever. The author really does deal with some incredibly dark issues, and that tends to fascinate me. Add into that the fact that the author is alarmingly good at making me laugh out loud at silly things.

      I think the thing that gets me about things is how completely off-the-scale everything ends up being. I mean, the author sets her own scale and immediately broke it. And then broke it again. And then broke the broken break. And the time-spans involved! The author doesn't have anything against having someone be alive 50,000 years ago, or something happening 1,700 years ago, or whatever. It's unreal. I honestly wish she had taken a zero off of everything, just to make it a little more palatable.

      Magic seems absolutely limitless; it really doesn't feel like there's any rules at all to Jaenelle's magic, like she's capable of absolutely anything.

      The characters lack depth: the villains have nothing to redeem themselves, and there are hundreds if not thousands of people that fall into the category of totally, purely evil. The good guys are purely good, sometimes bumbling, often opinionated and full of knowing looks. I really think the only two characters that were fully developed were Jaenelle and Daemon, though by the end of book three I could add in Karla and Surreal.

      And, and. Naming conventions. Really. Gah. Ugh. It's a truly amazing horde of hokey names: Saetan, Daemon, Lucivar, Cassandra, SaDiablo, Hayll, Hepsabah, Hekatah... the list goes on... and the rings of obedience? The hokey was nearly overpowering.

      Yet, despite all that, I did enjoy this quite a bit. Your mileage may vary.
    • 5/5
      OMG! I need Queen of the Darkness! I want more of Daemon! This book was wonderful but it didn't have enough of him. Although I did enjoy getting to know Lucivar more, and I just love Saetan, he makes me laugh. And Jaenelle is epic in this one.
    • 4/5
      The story seemed to meander, and much of what alluded to, I wish had been included. But the climax was outstanding, the humor apt, and I loved the world Anne Bishop built.
    • 2/5
      Maybe racing through this series for my end of the year book count goal...but it's enjoyable now I've steeled myself against the unpleasantness.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely love this series. At times, it can be a bit confusing when the author jumps years ahead in time without warning and some of the subject matter can be quite graphic and disturbing and certainly meant for adults, not YA readers. Overall, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy series, the characters draw you in and you become emotionally invested in them and the things they go through and you celebrate with them as well as cry with them. I guess some Christians MAY feel uncomfortable with the authors portrayal of Satan as "the good guy" but I think it is a very unique perspective and very early on into this series, Satan, in my mind, was no longer the creature of Christian mythology but just another character who happens to share the same name. I would certainly recommend this series to anyone who loves adult fantasy.
    • 3/5
      Only gets worse from here. Now there are far too many characters, so they don't get expanded on. Power creep continues. Bad people get worse. Problems are more and more ridiculous. Pulp!

      (I still love it.)
    • 5/5
      This series has sucked me in so far. Is it darn near perfect? Nope. Is it hard to follow sometimes? Yep. Can I put it down long enough to do things like... say, make dinner? Nope. And that's the sign of a great read in my book.
      I would love to sit with this author and ask questions to better grasp this world or at least to beg a map or list of names to remind me who is who. And sure, I'd like to ask why plot lines roll out as they do at times leaving me a bit baffled. Bottom line though, I'm having a great time being lost in Anne Bishop's imagination. I'll be starting book 3 immediately. As in... now.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely love this series. At times, it can be a bit confusing when the author jumps years ahead in time without warning and some of the subject matter can be quite graphic and disturbing and certainly meant for adults, not YA readers. Overall, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy series, the characters draw you in and you become emotionally invested in them and the things they go through and you celebrate with them as well as cry with them. I guess some Christians MAY feel uncomfortable with the authors portrayal of Satan as "the good guy" but I think it is a very unique perspective and very early on into this series, Satan, in my mind, was no longer the creature of Christian mythology but just another character who happens to share the same name. I would certainly recommend this series to anyone who loves adult fantasy.
    • 5/5
      Again, a great book! The characters and the world are really the strength of this series. I was quite glad to have re-read book 1, though, because at first, the world and magic system were a bit complicated. Fortunately, most about the world is explained in book 1, so book 2 was easier to read.
    • 5/5
      This is the second book in the Black Jewels Trilogy, and it was just as good as the first. I've got to say, I'm really loving these books. Very sexy and inventive. Some sections are probably a little more adult(not a problem for me), so others might want to know.
    • 3/5
      This is the second in the [Black Jewels] trilogy, and I must confess that it's been a while since I read the first one([Daughter of the Blood]), which probably affected how I read the second one. I found it a bit confusing until I realised that Hell, Kaeleer and Terreille are three realms that lie in parallel universes and are shadows of each other; but I'm still not completely sure how the power politics (i.e. Queens, Warlords etc) work. I do see that power is linked to the colour of the jewels that a person of the Blood has a right to, either by birth or by making an offering to the Darkness.The story takes up from the point where the child Jaenelle Angelline - the Witch who has been prophesised, as the most powerful Queen the dark realms have ever seen - had been badly injured but rescued in the nick of time. It covers the eight years until she comes of age and comes into her heritage, while the people around her help her in her recovery and protect her from those jealous of her power, who had tried to destroy her unsuccessfully at the end of the first book.Although I've seen this series around a lot, I hesitated to read it, because it's about demons, harpies, the prince of Hell, and so on, which is not my usual fare. Once I started it, I found that these are just different races or titles, and not that the characters are necessarily evil (except for the 'bad guys').However, the bad guys are out and out villains, with no redeeming features; and the good guys are pure goodness with no redeeming flaws. The heroes are martyrs, which always makes me squirm, or are lost in self-pity or feeling sorry for one of the other heroes who have suffered grievous tortures. In spite of tortures the good guys went through, I couldn't feel enough vested emotional interest to care deeply about it, except as narrative to continue the story.There were some amusing moments when friends or family teased each other, but I prefer my humour in more subtle doses than the treatment here. Sometimes there are time jumps which is a bit disorienting; for example when Jaenelle is badly hurt, the next chapter opens with her behaving as though nothing serious has happened, but a few paragraphs later, you find out that the story has moved on six months or a couple of years while she recovered.All in all, it was an interesting read, but a bit too much of 'it doesn't matter what horrors the bad guys put the good guys through, the good guys will still win - so there.' It's not a bad story, but I can see why I didn't rush out to buy more of the series after reading the first one.
    • 5/5
      This entry in the trilogy might not be quite as dark in theme as the first one - oh, nevermind, it is...It's actually very much like the first book in the series so if you liked that one, you'll like this one. I was a bit concerned, initially, when there ended up being non-human/demon/humanoid characters in the story... I was worried it'd turn into some C.S Lewis fairy tale. It did not (but it was close at some points when species after species showed up).The story is as wrapped up in the end as book one was (so, it's not really concluded but not really a cliff-hanger either). But... if you finish this book you might as well just get book 3 and get on with it because you'll want to have the overall story concluded.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely love this series. At times, it can be a bit confusing when the author jumps years ahead in time without warning and some of the subject matter can be quite graphic and disturbing and certainly meant for adults, not YA readers. Overall, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy series, the characters draw you in and you become emotionally invested in them and the things they go through and you celebrate with them as well as cry with them. I guess some Christians MAY feel uncomfortable with the authors portrayal of Satan as "the good guy" but I think it is a very unique perspective and very early on into this series, Satan, in my mind, was no longer the creature of Christian mythology but just another character who happens to share the same name. I would certainly recommend this series to anyone who loves adult fantasy.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful. Lavish. Stunning.I just can't find the words to describe that emotional surge and hopeless dreaming Anne Bishop has inspired in me.This dark fantasy has taken over my life during the time I was reading it. Even knowing that the fantasy would end sooner, I couldn't help but feverishly flip through the pages of all three books.Anne Bishop knows how to pull all your heart strings, making you laugh, love, live in the world she has created. Even with the story ended, I have a hopeless longing to continue living in its pages. The characters are so real you can't help but fall in love with them. Innocent Jaenelle, with all her dark power. Ravishing Daemon, fierce and sadistic, with a noble heart beneath his fearsome reputation. I've gone to sleep mooning over these characters, and dreaming of the tantalising dark world.Bishop doesn't waste time explaining. She plunges you right into the middle of the Dark Kingdom, with its three Realms, races and magic abounding everywhere. As a result, the world, so different from ours, can seem a little confusing at first, but you quickly catch on, and soon it's like you've always lived in those pages.You flow with all the moments. Your heart breaks for the characters, and you emerge triumphant with them. I've had to restrain myself from laughing aloud during the witty bits, littered throughout the series. I've flexed my fingers, so fired by the way Bishop portrays the antagonists that I've wanted to rip through something.The first few blatant uses of magic, such as vanishing an object, annoyed me, but I quickly accepted that it was the Blood's way of life. Magic ran so deep in them. Another thing didn't sit well with me was, if the protagonists were the most powerful people in all three Realms, why couldn't they just blow up the antagonists and have done with? They were clearly capable of doing it, and had even considered it during the course of the story.Nevertheless, it was such a beautiful story, its splendour overshadowed whatever tiny flaws there were. I'm still hungry for more, and Anne Bishop does satisfy her readers' cravings. There are other novels outside of the series that feature the dark Realms and the beloved characters. I myself have scurried down to my bookstore and procured a copy of Tangled Webs. A brief flick through has already set my heart beating, and I've fallen in love with the characters all over again.I look forward to exploring the dreamscape with Jaenelle, Daemon, Luciver, Surreal and other characters again. Anne Bishop and her Black Jewels Trilogy has easily risen to the top of my favourites list, closely followed by George R.R Martin and his Song of Ice and Fire.***If it's even possible, Heir to the Shadows has even more excitement than the previous book, Daughter of the Blood. Bishop introduces new characters - the First Circle and the Kindred. Charming and amusing, the characters leap out of the page, drawing you further into Bishop's web.My only disappointment was that I didn't get to see Daemon as much as I would have liked, or Hekatah squirm and shriek when the Shadow Realm yielded to Jaenelle.
    • 5/5
      Heir to the Shadows, as the end of the previous book describes it, is the continuation of the story of Jaenelle, Saetan, Lucifar and Daemon that began in Daughter of the Blood. But if the first book is remarkable for Saetan's arc (he stands as a father figure to Jaenelle) then this installment is notable for Lucifar's growth in the course of the story--the man that stands as a brother to Jaenelle. The story is plain fun to read as Jaenelle begins to form around her the beginnings of her court from other powerful witches to magical creatures from unicorns to talking dogs. Despite some dark themes, there is a lot of humor in this book, one of the many reasons I enjoy it so much as well as strong world-building.
    • 5/5
      Witch begins to come into her own, but the opposing forces are playing for keeps. With enemies on the Dark Council, her Offering yet to make, and her Consort lost to the Twisted Realm, Janelle is teetering on the brink. Can she rally her troops and save the realms, the Blood from ruin? Not an easy task when even those on her own side seem ready to stand against her.NOT a good place to jump into the series. Read Daughter of the Blood first, or you'll be terribly confused. This installment's still dark, but there's a bit of humor there, too.
    • 5/5
      Lucivar gets a lot more time in this book - and I absolutely love him! He is so funny, and he and Jeanelle and Saetan have such a fantastic relationship.Daemon is the one who breaks my heart, but there is always hope. I just love the way males and females interact in these books.
    • 4/5
      Jeanelle grew, aged and came back from the brink, but is she ready to face what is to come? Daemon is lost in the Twisted Kingdoms, sure he killed his love. Lucivar hates his brother for having learn what he did to Witch. Saetan continue to love Witch like a father even if it's sometimes difficult.A beautiful continuation of the first book. Darkness descend on the the characters. It's intriguing and compelling to read.
    • 5/5
      Heir to the Shadows was a strong middle of the series book. It did its job well to further along the plot. Jaenelle is getting older and we learn more of what she is capable of. The characters that are introduced strengthen Witches ties with the blood and Kindred. You become more emotionally connected with the main characters that you couldn’t end with this book, you’re compelled to see the entire trilogy through.The creativity and imagination in this trilogy is amazing, and this is my favorite book of the three!
    • 3/5
      Wow!! My face is still a bit damp from tears and my heart is still pounding. This is the second book in this trilogy. I read but didn't review the first although it was almost as good. I'm a lover of fantasy, humor, sex and mystery and this trilogy contains all of that. This second book was light on the sex but when you read something this amazing, it really doesn't matter to me.This is the fantasy story of a girl and how she becomes queen of almost all she sees. In the first book we find out some about her lineage and then about the horrible people that pose as her family. She is "witch" and has power beyond any that has been seen before but she must grow up as human and take the abuse and use that goes along with it. This second book is her story of her rise to power, her search for her true lover and her love and acceptance for the "kindred" of the Blood (her lineage). This is a wonderful trilogy for almost anyone. It is so well written that you are in the middle of the story before you know it. Even the long descriptions of things are enticing and I'm a fast reader aka a skimmer. I find myself not skimming in these books. Now I can't wait to jump into the Queen of Darkness. If I could rate this trilogy higher than a 5, I would do so.
    • 4/5
      This second book in the trilogy drags you in even further to this land. I have fallen in love with the use of webs and the plays on what we fear most...becoming some of the greatest parts of the world. The author also continues to take themes that in most situations would be uncomfortable and makes them real, makes the reader empathize, and is just generally grand.