Book Musings: The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

I wasn't going to look at two of Anne Bishop's books, but since I was reading them, I figured why not, its good practice.

I last read The Shadow Queen about a year ago, and I really enjoyed it.  Reading it again this time, I found I had completely forgotten a great deal of it.  I really only remembered the basic storyline: 

The territory of Dena Nehele had suffered under the rules of Dorothea SaDiablo for quite some time, but everything changed after Dorothea and the other Blood were destroyed in the witch storm.  Now they need a Queen otherwise they will not survive.  

Theran Grayhaven calls in the favor Daemon Sadi offered to his relative Jared Grayhaven and requests a Queen from Kaeleer who is trained in the "Old ways" for Dena Nehele, a territory in Terreille still recovering from Dorothea's damage.  Theran is not very smart when he asks for this, not understanding exactly how the what the "Old ways" are and require.  Therefore when he is given Cassidy, a young light-jeweled Queen whose court left deserted her.  He is, obviously less than pleased with his one and only option.  The book then goes through challenge Cassidy and Theran attempting to work together and bring Dena Nehele back to some of its former glory.  Cassidy tries to be a Queen who lives by the "Old Ways" and the type of Queen Theran wants while Theran tries to accept the Queen he did not want.  


 As with all of the books in the Black Jewels series, I enjoyed visiting again with some of my favorite characters, although Surreal is absent.  Some people find sidetracking to these other plots to be annoying, and I can understand that because the story doesn't flow in one direction, but I enjoy it.  Ms. Bishop works the other plots in enough that everything still flows together.  It also allows for the reader to have a deeper understanding of the characters who are so familiar from previous series.  I never tire of seeing a new aspect of Daemon, Saetan, Lucivar, and Janelle.  

I really enjoyed Cassidy as a character.  She's spunky, in a hidden sort of way, but its there.  She's strong in a different way than Janelle or Surreal.  I also like the character of Gray.  He's described as having the mentality of a boy in a man's body.  I find this image comes across very clearly and find myself trying to distinguish which part is dominating him in each scene just as Cassidy, Theran, and other characters try to figure out which part of Gray they are confronting.

I have to Theran is just a jerk.  A well written jerk, but a jerk just the same.  Towards the end of the book I thought perhaps he had some redeemable qualities, but then I remembered  everything he does in the sequel, Shalador's Lady and that was enough for me to remember how the changes do not last.

I also enjoy Ranon.  He's very tough and has some good comments throughout the story.  Another character I enjoy is the kindred Scheltie, Vae.  Vae is so hard not to love, although Thearn does a good job of it.  If not for anything else, her comments about "snarly males" is worth having for the humor.  


After finishing the book, I was disappointed with  myself.  I read Shalador's Lady less than a month ago, but I think I read it too fast and even though I enjoyed it, I have forgotten much of it, especially with all of the other books I have read in between then and now.  I think I may actually have to read it again this way I'll have The Shadow Queen fresh in my mind...

Listening to:  Roger Daltrey - "The Price of Love"