Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop

Title: Daughter of the Blood

Author: Anne Bishop

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Black Jewels Trilogy # 1

Paperback, 384 pages 

Publication: March 1, 1998

Source: Personal Library
Buy|AMAZON|BN|

Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions. Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence—and corruption.

Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men—sworn enemies—know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love—and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining...everything.

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve heard about The Black Jewel Trilogy for as long as I’ve been reading fantasy, which is quite a long time. I’ve even read Bishop’s The Others series. So, I’m not sure why I never picked up The Black Jewels Trilogy sooner, but I’m glad I finally did because the first book in the series, Daughter of the Blood, was absolutely incredible!

Bishop didn’t waste any time and threw her readers right into the story, opening up with a prophecy of a girl the entire realm has been waiting for. I’ll be honest; the first 25% of the book was very hard to understand. The author gave a brief description before the story of the Jewel ranks and Blood Hierarchy, but that’s it. The world is complex, and there are a lot of major players to get through, but once readers get pass the 25%, I guarantee you’ll be glued to the pages, as I was.

Daughter of the Blood has one of the most deliciously dark worldbuildings I’ve ever read. It was intriguing and sexy, yet brutal and unforgiving. I’m not sure if the book was ever intended for the young audience it reached, but this book is not for the faint of heart. There were so many trigger warnings and topics that normally raise my red flags that would put me off reading a book, and still, I continued reading and found myself not only enjoying the book but loving it. Definitely check the warnings before you read!

Most of the characters in Daughter of the Blood were truly morally grey characters. I loved them all with their faults and flaws. Bishop did an amazing job showcasing the horrendous and beautiful sides of people’s humanity. I’ve never seen it done so well until now.

Daughter of the Blood was written back in the late '90s, specifically 1998, and I can say without a doubt that this book has truly stood the test of time. The themes and topics posed in the book were relevant then and are relevant now. I’ve read many books over the years, and I could already tell this book is something special and a book that I know I will return to time and time again. It’s no wonder it is so loved and so highly spoken of. Many of the books being published today cannot even hold a candle to this book, nor do come close. 

I can't wait to read the sequel!