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.

Daughter of the Blood explores a world where the savior is mistaken for a troubled, young girl with issues of instability. Her family sees a troubled girl who makes up stories about far away places, about magical creatures and even darker ones. Those in power, the seat of evil in the world, are blind to her existence and the extent of the power that she already wields. The good guys recognize her instantly but are powerless to protect or aid her, with the exception of the demon dead and the High Lord of Hell. There is a scene between Jaenelle and Daemon in the book where we get a truly insightful glimpse into Jaenelle’s troubled mind when she asks “Why am I different?”

The character Jaenelle, billed as the main character by the book synopsis and jacket treasure, is dull and lacking in charisma that naturally would make the reader like her. There are moments where that charisma shines through but it is dull in comparison to the three males that dominate this novel. What saves this book from following the path of dullness or mediocrity are several things:

1. The three ’supporting’ male characters: Saetan, Lucivar and Daemon.
2. The World, the Mythos, and the gentle build of the back-story to the world, but particularly to the 3 males.

There are several aspects to this book that make it truly chilling and are the backbone to the dark atmosphere that Bishop has created in this world.

1. The evil characters are truly twisted and are evil for the sake of power. These characters, particularly Dorothea and Hekatah, represent a “black” derivative of evil, without any room for redemption.
2. The good guys have been billed as gray (though compassionate) but were a source of fear through most of the Realm. Those in power have attempted to use Lucivar and Daemon to their advantage but their father’s small amount of influence overpowered. Instead they have earned a disturbing reputation amongst the Courts of Terreille. Even so, amongst the people of the Realm the truth of their character has dominated the rumors of their genuine evil. Such as Daemon’s help with the Inn Keeper’s daughter, or his relationship with Manny.
3. Violence is a major theme and way of life for the Blood, especially in Terreille. A primary example of this theme is that murder is not a punishable offense. Though this is also associated with the ability of the Blood to transition to demon dead and extract their own vengeance.

Daughter of the Blood has a strong focus on the back-story more than the present story. At times this makes for an overwhelming presence of the world’s history but it blends directly in with the present to develop the storyline more deeply. There is at least fifty-thousand years of history that is well developed and introduced into the storyline, between the dialogue and anecdotes. It often left me confused on whether I should be more interested in the present story or the past stories.

Even so many of these flashbacks aid in tying the story and aspects together. Her ability to pull many varying aspects together is a strength to her story telling. There are several moments where little things come back to haunt Jaenelle that stood out to me:

1. Not long after learning about Lucivar’s fate in the salt mines of Pruul Jaenelle is visiting Saetan when he suggests presenting the unicorns with a gift of salt licks for Winsol, leaving Jaenelle very distraught in remembering Lucivar’s fate.
2. Jaenelle’s freak-out over being told by Cook that they would be having ‘leg’ for dinner. Later we discover the truth about Briarwood and Jaenelle explains the ghosts to Surreal and explains that Dannie’s leg was served for dinner at Briarwood.

There are some significant issues with the story, characters, world, mythos and the power of the Blood:

1. There is a significant imbalance of power between the factions of good and evil. The good guys severely out power the evil, which in this world is overshadowed by the fact that the evil guys outnumber the good. And those with power to fight back are either indifferent or enslaved.
2. Though there is plenty of setup through the mythos of the Blood to allow for Jaenelle to be emotionally and mentally unstable due to the dangerous bond of Dark Jewels with a young mind. Yet none of this came to fruition and somehow Jaenelle was able to overcome the bond of a set of excessively powerful Jewels. Instead what instability she did face was a product of Briarwood and her family’s inability to see who she truly is.
3. Dorothea and Hekatah too neatly possess the power in Terreille. The opposition is either killed or broken. There is almost nothing known or understood of their rise to power in Hayll and then throughout the Realm. Red is a strong Jewel but not overpowering.
4. The age differential between the short and long lived races is uncomfortable. The eldest character, Saetan, in the story is 50,000 years old (hello caveman!). Daemon and Lucivar were 1,700 and considered to be in their prime. There is such a significant difference between the life span of the long lived races and short lived races
5. As great and well rounded as the world itself is there is a vagueness that cannot be defined about the world’s time period and the technology they do and don’t have. Unlike most other fantasy it does not easily align with history as we know it and because of this it is hard to get a full visual representation of the world.
6. What frustrates me is that Blood Protocol, the veil of civility and culture, can keep Saetan, Daemon and Lucivar in servitude and slavery to people who are destroying the very Protocol that they honor, despite the bad guys no longer adhering to it. There is a sense of irrelevance and complacency that feels like they have given up on the Blood.

Like with most saviors in the Fantasy world Jaenelle is not chained to the words ‘can’t or ‘impossible’. In Jaenelle this is a refreshing freedom since she is working with such power at a young age there are things she can accomplish that would otherwise be seen as impossible.

The conclusion of the book felt complete and still managed to establish a direction for the rest of the trilogy to go. It left me with plenty of questions as to the possibilities of the future for the characters. Jaenelle is safe at the Keep with Saetan and her demon dead friends, but there is still a need to find resolution in the healing of her chalice. Daemon and Surreal are trapped in Terreille without allies and are left to survive the corruption of Terreille.

The pieces of story that had been created throughout Daughter of the Blood came together in a very neat and tidy way at the climax. All those characters who had become a part of Jaenelle’s life pulled together to save her; Cassandra, Surreal, Saetan, and Daemon. Pulling together these various storylines was a smooth transition for the climax. Starting with Surreal attending the Briarwood Winsol party all the way through Cassandra escaping with Jaenelle through the Dark Gate.

Overall I found Daughter of the Blood to be a consuming novel with a world that will keep you guessing and interested. Bishop’s ability to mesh together a dark world, with some lighthearted scenes and humor, creates a book that will keep you enthralled and chuckling. I highly recommend this read- as long as you can handle the dark themes and taboo topics.