Shalador's Lady

January 4, 2010
The rambling eighth Black Jewels epic fantasy (after 2009’s The Shadow Queen
) doesn’t glow as brightly as earlier installments, but faithful fans will cheer to find Lady Cassidy at last on track to a happy ending. Plain jane Cassie, a Rose-jeweled queen, lost her Bhak court to prettier but bratty Lady Kermilla. She’s now recovered from the loss and ready to restore her new land of Shalador to prosperity. When Lady Kermilla pays an unwelcome visit, Warlord Prince Theran Grayhaven, pledged to Cassie’s service, starts making eyes at their guest. Fearing another betrayal, Cassie flees to Eyota, but her heart remains with Grayhaven gardener Jared Blaed. Bishop’s dialogue-heavy prose, ornate magical politics, large cast, and complex caste system bog down the narrative flow, and even the introductory guides will do little to enlighten new readers, leaving this one strictly for the fans.

March 15, 2010
With the end of the cruel reigns of corrupted Queens, the people of Shalador look to a new ruler with a mixture of hope and trepidation. The Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, embarks on a quest to prove herself to those who must accept her and to the land that has gone so long without the healing touch of a Queen. Bishop's latest addition to her "Black Jewels" series ("The Shadow Queen; Tangled Webs") brings to the fore a heroine who possesses more courage than restraint and who does not hesitate to risk herself for what she loves. VERDICT A lavishly detailed, exotic background in which women exercise the power of leadership and jewels serve as the source of magic brings to mind the sensual fiction of Tanith Lee and Storm Constantine and should appeal to fans of dynastic fantasy.

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