Heir to the Shadows (Black Jewels Series #2) Book

4.5 Not for the Faint of Heart Starts

The Black Jewels series is dark fantasy, characters in this do not have easy goes at things and suffer for years on end. Daughter of blood hit so many of my hot buttons in it, rape, incest, torture, human trafficking, pedophilia and slavery. It was dark and disturbing and I couldn't look away or put it down. Heir to the Shadows picks up two years after the events of the first book of the series. This is still dark but we have moved away from some of the sexual darkness of the first book and we learn that The Blood have other ways to be horrible to each other.

Jaenelle remains in a coma in Saetan's care two years after the events of Daughter of Blood. Daemon at least was able to tie her back to her body but it has left him vulnerable with cracks of his own and drained. Because he doesn't remember the events of that horrible night it is all twisted in his head and he isn't sure if he helped or harmed the girl that will one day become the woman he is meant to be with.

This worldbuilding in this is really fantastic. There are lands in the physical realm, magical realm and the realm of death. The tie in between all of the places and how they interact with one another is really amazing and I like the idea of Saetan as a Guardian of the world. The Kindred are magical creatures who as legend have it were once normal wolves, dogs, cats, unicorns etc. but a dragon flew over the land dropping her scales and giving the world her magic. Humans that caught a scale became witches, animals became more sentient with magic of their own and became known as the Kindred. I love how much depth there is to the worlds.

While sometimes this is a little slow in places I can't say I was ever bored, I really couldn't put this down for the most part as I followed Jaenelle on her journey from the lowest part of her life, to living while blocking the trauma of her past to the final acceptance of all of it on her journey into the future.
"It is easier to kill than to heal. It is easier to destroy than to preserve. It is easier to tear down than to build. Those who feed on destructive emotions and ambitions and deny the responsibilities that are the price of wielding power can bring down everything you care for and would protect. Be on guard, always."
There are so many great characters and so many terrible characters I love to hate that I was captivated by the entire tale. Plus seeing Saetan with a household of teenage witches as he tries to mentor Jaenelle was pretty hilarious. I'm not sure he knew what he was getting into when that little girl showed up on his doorstep seeking magic lessons.
"I met your daughter recently. I asked her if she found it difficult living with your temper. She looked genuinely baffled, and said, 'What temper?'"
Saetan stared at her for a moment, then the anger drained away. He rubbed the back of his neck, and said dryly, "Jaenelle has a unique way of looking at a great many things."
Anne Bishop has woven an intricate tale in a cruel world and I just can't get enough of it. With the addition of the Kindred, Lucivar finding his place and Daemon's journey this was a full tale that left me wanting more.

I can't wait to see what our not so little Jaenelle will do now that she has made her choice.