The Queen's Weapons

Starred review from January 1, 2021

Born to serve and protect, Warlord Princes are sworn to their Queen. Daemonar Yaslana has always been bossy and protective, but he has reached an age where his behavior walks a fine line, and an emotional attack on his sister by a young Queen results in Daemonar beginning a new set of lessons under Witch, the Queen that many think of as old myth. When a curse is revealed to be rising in Kaleer, Daemonar along with his uncle and father, the High Lord and Demon Prince, respectively, must use his skills to uproot the stain before it sets too far. For Warlord Princes are their Queen's weapons, and they will destroy any enemy--even if it wears a beloved face. Bishop (Wild Country) leans into references and characters from past books to build a century-spanning saga, tying together pieces of plot and creating new stakes that could break hearts and power. VERDICT The latest "Black Jewels" novel (after The Queen's Bargain) continues to deliver dark fantasy with lush worldbuilding, strong characters, and high-stakes action.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 26, 2021
On the one hand, it seems like Daemonar and Lucivar have matters under control with their respective responsibilities. On the other, not everyone remembers the horrors of Hayll as well as they do--and there are some who would even romanticize them. Daemonar and Surreal are making every effort to protect Jaenelle Saetien so that she can have a normal childhood before everyone finds out that Daemon is High Lord of Hell; Lucivar has to support his daughter Titian through the difficulty of judgmental peers, and his son Daemonar through proper protocol in dealing with young queens, which requires lessons with Witch. There's something brewing on the horizon, though--Tersa saw it in a tangled web, and Witch knows more than she's telling. All of these efforts to be good parents might come to naught, thanks to a conniving youngster and a teenage rebellion that requires finesse more than violence, until it all comes to a head. The latest in Bishop's Black Jewels series (after The Queen's Bargain, 2020) is an entertaining story about being vigilant and not repeating the mistakes of the past, with some solid problem-solving through communication, and dire consequences for abuse and bullying.

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