Heir to the Shadows

Book 2 of The Black Jewels Trilogy

By: Anne Bishop

Narrated by: John Sharian

In this violently passionate, "darkly fascinating world,"** the Blood rule: a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels. Ambitions unfurl in this second novel of The Black Jewels Trilogy, as the realm's dreams of a liberator have finally been made flesh... Jaenelle, singled out by prophecy as the living embodiment of magic, is haunted by the cruel battles the Blood have fought over her-for not all of them await her as their Savior. Nothing, however, can deflect her from her destiny-and the day of reckoning looms near. When her memories return. When her magic matures. When she is forced to accept her fate. On that day, the dark Realms will know what it means to be ruled by Witch.

Critic reviews

“[The Black Jewels] series...has long been celebrated for its dark sensuality and focus on female characters....[the books] remain crucial foundations of the romantasy genre and paved the way for what followed.”—Paste Magazine

Praise for Heir to the Shadows

“Bishop seems to delight in turning fantasy conventions on their heads...still darkly opulent, often exotic.”—Locus

“The fabulous talent of Anne Bishop is showcased in Heir to the Shadows....Ms. Bishop’s striking magical concepts and powerful images are wonderfully leavened with unexpected dash and humor, creating an irresistible treat for fantasy fans.”—RT Book Reviews

“Heir to the Shadows isn’t as dark as its predecessor...All the other elements that made the first book such a gripping read are present: vivid and sympathetic characters, a fascinating and fully-realized magical system...lavish and sensuous descriptions, and interesting world building that turns traditional gender roles and concepts of dominance and submission on their heads....It’s a terrific read, and I highly recommend both it and Daughter of the Blood.”—SF Site

“Daemon, Lucivar, and Saetan ooze more sex appeal than any three fictional characters created in a very long time.”—The Romance Reader

Good story, confidently wrong reader.

I love this book, but the reader pronounces words wrong, especially names. His inflections are also a little off.

Tender, Dark Fantasy

See my review at wyldheartreads at wordpress
I loved this story and all of the characters

Like everything by Anne Bishop, epic and original.

Love the characters. Highly original. Real characters in unreal situations. This is my second Bishop series.

Story line not as strong as first book

This is a filler book. In my opinion, the story isn't as compelling, but it is necessary to complete the completion of the trilogy. If you use logic, one could easily see what needs to happen in order for Jaenelle to become Witch, dreams come to life, and Daemon to return to be her consort. Not particularly thrilling, but not bad enough to not want to see the final chapter. Honestly, I am just thinking about re reading the last book instead of listening to the audio version.

I can't get enough!

Love, love LOVE it!!
the story, the flow of words, the performance, the characters, how the characters interacted, it was all great.
I think listening to this one, I have felt every possible feeling in the human experience. it was exhilarating.
Anne Bishop is an amazing writer and isn't afraid to write about unpleasant things. she isn't afraid to paint those unpleasant things in a seemingly normal way.
this book, this series, isn't for the faint of heart. murder, rape, pedophilia, bestiality, treason, drug use, political drama, and so much more.
the performance was great. I had no complaints. Mr. Sharian had great inflection, wonderful pacing, unique voices for each character, and a deep understanding of how to best bring the story to life.
My only issue I had (and it's mainly a pet peeve) was that any length of time was not named. if one chapter ended, and the next happened to take place 2 years after that, there was no mention other than an offhand comment one of the character made about the passage of time.
I don't like guessing how long between each scene was.
overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book. it's the second one in the series, and I'm on my way to the third!