The Queen's Weapons

Black Jewels, Book 11

By: Anne Bishop

Narrated by: Gary Littman

Length: 19 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Enter the dark and sensual realms of the Black Jewels, a world where power always has a price, in this sweeping story in the New York Times best-selling fantasy saga.

They are Warlord Princes, men born to serve and protect. They are the Queen's Weapons, men born to destroy the Queen's enemies - no matter what face that enemy wears.

Daemonar Yaslana knows how to be bossy yet supportive - traits he shares with his father, the Demon Prince, and his uncle, the High Lord of Hell. Within his generation of the family, he assumes the role of protector, supporting his sister Titian's artistic efforts and curbing his cousin Jaenelle Saetien's more adventurous ideas. But when a young Eyrien Queen, someone Titian thought was a friend, inflicts an emotional wound, Daemonar's counterattack brings him under the tutelage of Witch, the Queen whose continued existence is known only to a select few.

As Daemonar is confronted by troubling changes within and around the family, he sees warnings that a taint in the Blood might be reappearing. Daemonar, along with his father and uncle, must uncover the source of a familiar evil - and Daemon Sadi, the High Lord of Hell, may be forced into making a terrible choice.

©2021 Anne Bishop (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"The latest Black Jewels novel (after The Queen's Bargain) continues to deliver dark fantasy with lush worldbuilding, strong characters, and high-stakes action." (Library Journal)

Welcome back

This story of the Demon prince and his family continues a wonderful story of the world of the witch queen. It is helpful to read the other volumes in this tale first. The narration give further character to Lucifer and his brother and the other members of the family and their evil enemies. There are lessons still to be learned. A must tesd

Everything has a price, teenage angst, hope

Narrated by Gary Litman. Like 'The Queen's Bargain, Litman does a nice job but John Sharian, who narrated most of the books in this series left an indelible mark and he is missed. Litman brings a lot more grit and roughness to Daemon and Lucivar but I'm learning to get used it.

Daemon and Surreal's daughter Jaenelle Satien is changing and becoming a stranger to them. She hates her name and wants nothing to do with her namesake, she wants to create her own path, one that her namesake never walked. When she requests to go to a private school, everyone hopes she will grow out of the waspish changes. At the same time Lucivar's daughter Titian over comes her shyness to seek out further art training at the same school and makes friends with a young Queen Zoey. Daemonar can't help being the overprotective brother and warlord prince. When he senses a threat to his sister, he also ends up at the school to protect his family.

Saetan Daemon SaDiablo aka Daemon is the High Lord of Hell

I love the Black Jewels world and how most of the Queens and their warlords strive to protect their people. When Dorothea's taint resurfaces amongst their children, the Sadist awakens, as well as his Queen Jaenelle's ire.

I have so many mixed feelings about this one. Their are characters I love and can not get enough of and then their was Daemon's daughter Jaenelle. Watching Daemonar grow into his power as a Warlord Prince and Titian coming into her own made for wonderful reading. I loved that Daemonar is stepping into the third side of the Queen's triangle.

Unfortunately I hated reading about Jaenelle. For most of the book she is a self-absorbed, entitled, whiney bitch. She may be centuries old but think raging teenager and you get the idea. Attaching herself to a group of aristos that are also entitled and classic mean girls, known as the 'Coven of Malice' by those outside of their group. It was hard to believe a daughter of Daemon and Surreal was so insecure and weak, that she could be taken in by this nasty group and used for so long. There was more than one point that I no longer wanted to read anything about her.

Characters change and grow and some things stay the same. I don't think I'll ever get enough of Daemon and Lucivar but watching Daemonar, Titian and Zoey come into their own, I have new characters to love and I can't wait for more of their story. I'm not sure I can forgive Jaenelle Saetien, but I'll wait and see.

The Queen's Weapons are diverse and multi pronged. They will serve her and not allow Dorothea's taint to return to the land after their Queen gave so much to eliminate it. For those who forgot Daemon, Lucivar and Daemonar have no problem unleashing their claws to remind them.

The running theme of the Black Jewels series is that everything has a price, no one goes unscathed in this installment. Anne Bishop will gut you as well as charm you as she brings you into the Black Jewels world.

Beautiful Story, Poor Voice Choices

This is another of the audio books where the narration has brought down the quality of the story. In this case, unlike some recent others, I didn't have to force myself to listen, but I also found some character's voice choices grating. Especially the female characters.

First, let me say this is one of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors. It's the first pre-ordered book this year whose context hasn't let me down. I look forward to seeing where Ms. Bishop takes the series. Assuming it will continue. I don't dig for such details, so it might be wishful thinking on my part. It will be on my list as soon as it's announced if so.

I would still encourage people to read the book instead of listening because the intonation of most of the characters were nothing like how I have imagined them when I've read the rest of the series. This is the first I've went with the audio version, and thank goodness for that because I'd have never made it beyond a sample had I started the series with audio. I suppose I should count myself lucky that Audible didn't exist decades ago.

The choice of voice for most females, the majority of children, and The Sadist was atrocious. I get that they're supposed to be aristocrats, but this was like a very strange caricature of aristocrats. Not to mention the voice choice for Witch was just... disturbing. The lines would have been so much richer if read in a different tone. Where I haven't really cared for the story of other books whose narration I've complained about, this book's story was worth a much better narration for some of the characters. If the same narrator is used for future books, I hope he will reconsider how he reads for female voices and some of the aristocratic males. It really took away from the story.

With that said, I still found myself crying in the end. That's a win in my book. Would there have been more tears had I read it instead of listening? I'm not sure. It's possible, because there was very powerful occurences whose emotional impact was lost due to those strange innotations. Not only that, but if passion/anger/fear/etc was to be enunciated during some phrases, others should have been spoken with equal spirit and energy.

Overall, this is another book where the narration choices left me wondering what the production and/or editing team was thinking. The book, on the other hand is worth taking the time to read. I hope people do not leave spoilers in their reviews. Wishful thinking, I'm sure. This is one book where if you've read the rest of the series, you definetly want to go in unaware and let the words take you where they may. If you haven't read the series, please start at the beginning. This is NOT a stand alone book by any stretch of the imagination. If you haven't read other books in the series, this one will be lost to you. If you have read them, enjoy this latest ride across the winds.

Another amazing book by Anne Bishop!

I have missed these characters and their dynamic personalities. This did not disappoint. Some authors after this long fail to continue to develop the characters. Anne Bishop never does.

Wish this would never end!

I’m sad this book is done! I had read the entire series before this and this is the first one I’ve listened to. The performance was brilliant! I loved every minute of it and I’m hopeful the author continues with this family and series. Loved it!

great story

loved this book. great storyline and the flow the story has makes you want to hear one more chapter.

Improved narration. Awesome story!

Although I loved John Sharian’s rendition of all the Black Jewels characters, somewhere along the way he lost me when he turned Jaenelle’s voice into a thick pub-worthy Irish brogue. Not sure why the editors would allow the narrator such a liberty with the main character, esp since prior renditions had been in her appropriate “midnight voice”.

Mr Sharian went too far OFF character with the protagonist for no reason. And though I absolutely LOVE the series and have both read and listened to it several times, I die a little inside each time Mr Sharian turns Jaenelle into Lucky Charms...

In this return to Ebon Rhi and Ebon Askavi, Mr Littman did a fine job, and Lucivar’s new voice grew on me. Its really not that much of a difference from Sharian’s. The Sadist’s voice may need a little extra oomph. I’m sure Mr Littman will only improve with each new book. I, for one, am very pleased with the
Upgrade

He also did an excellent job with the mean girl voices. Another great story in the Black Jewels realm that had me going through so many different emotions thoughout the story so much so that I already started the next in the series. If you love the Black Jewels World, this book is a worty return to that world.

happy for more!

This new trilogy was hard on its characters in a way that sometimes took me out of the story, and the tough love parenting approach was at times hard to cheer for, but I overall enjoyed and am happy to have more of this series

Bad narrator

I really do not like the new narrator. I want John back please! Everything else was amazing.

Love Returning To The Kaeleer

Another engaging installment in the Black Jewels series. No matter what they are doing I love following these characters. I really enjoyed seeing a book tackle both the adolescent and adult worlds in one story. You don't often watch these two age ranges overlap throughout a story and with adults so involved in the adolescent's lives. This was very unique and enjoyable.