There were many things that made this book intriguing and entertaining, and plenty that left me wanting more and left me disappointed.

This is the first  book following Witch’s Purge of the tainted Blood that we’ve taken a trip back to Terreille to see the effects around that Realm. The aftermath of Jaenelle’s purge is not perfect and it opened a flood gate for pent up landen aggression against the Blood. This was such a poignant part of the novel that I wish had been developed deeper. I would love to see a short story on the civil war amongst Blood and landen. Out of this plot point came one of the most poignant lines of the series and the defining line of this novel:

“We didn’t win. Someone else eliminated the enemy, but we still didn’t win.”

I was instantly appreciative that Cassidy is a different Queen than we’ve experienced to date. The Queens we’ve faced have been tremendously powerful and self assured. In return Theran is also a different kind of Warlord Prince than what we’ve been exposed to. Despite their faults Daemon and Lucivar understood Protocol and had a deep knowledge of the Blood and what they represented. The relationship between Cassidy and Theran is polarizing. He wants to serve and he knows how to in theory, but the practicality of serving is uncomfortable for him. These characters are far different background than in prior books- they were fresh. Furthermore, each character is unique and added to the storyline- Ranon, Gray, Powell, Shira, Talon,  and Vae. These characters each fit this story amazing well and I’m convinced they wouldn’t have been at all important outside of Dena Nehele or this plot.

With a new set of characters came a new perspective and a new set of eyes. It was refreshing to see the main characters of the Trilogy through the eyes and opinions of those who have no knowledge or understanding of Jaenelle or Saeten’s significance. This is especially well showcased through the scene when Theran first meets Beale. It was also refreshing to have a Terreillien perspective of Kaeleer from someone who is an average character and not super special like Lucivar or Daemon.

As much as I enjoyed the book I was left with quite a few disappointments.

I found that I was less interested in the development of the Kaeleer based plot (the scenes between Daemon and Jaenelle) and was impatient to return to the new story. Though I was appreciative of the developed dynamics between Saetan and his sons- particularly the scene with Daemon crying on Saeten’s shoulder followed up by Saeten reading Daemon a children’s story before bed- I struggled to enjoy these scenes because I was eager to return to the Terreille plot line. I felt that the Saeten and Daemon plot was forced as if Bishop was trying desperately to find a way to work them into a side plot that would engage the reader. These scenes presented beautiful character development across the board but didn’t fit with the rest of the book. I would’ve been happy with less focus on that and more on the situation in Dena Nehele. I enjoyed the darker parts with Saeten in action with the murders of Daemon’s tormenter, but not the assumption that he had been lost to the Twisted Kingdoms. I felt that it was a touching end to an otherwise boring and indulgent subplot with Daemon helping Saeten work through the Twisted Kingdoms.

Between the indulgent subplot and the lack of an antagonist I struggled to connect with the novel. Theran was able to provide several antagonistic moves against Cassidy but it presented a very one dimensional struggle that didn’t extend from their relationship. Much of this novel felt like a set up for something bigger, with the introduction of the Shaladorian refuges, and Cassidy’s steps towards becoming the Queen that Dena Nehele needed.

Despite the disappointments Bishop really hit her stride in the areas that mattered most to me. My greatest love for Bishop’s novels comes two fold; through her humor and through this beautiful world of her creation. Shadow Queen did not disappoint me in either of these realms of her expertise. This book had me laughing aloud at many passages, or simply sitting and reading with a grin across my face. My favorite scene that kept me in giggles pages later occurred between Saeten and Geoffrey, and left Saeten trying to guess what kind of fiction Geoffrey reads.