Shalador's Lady

The Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop is currently eight books long. Shalador's Lady is the eighth book in the series. For those who haven't read the Black Jewels series, this book might be confusing. The series is broken up into two main character divisions, the first three books and books 5 and 6 focus on Witch and her followers, while books 4, 7 and 8 focus on the people in the territory of Dena Nehele and Shalador.

For fans of the series, this book completes the story of the people of Dena Nehele and answers the questions of what happens to those left behind after the cleansing of the Blood. Lady Cassidy grows into a strong queen with the help of most of her first circle. I liked this book as much as, if not more than, The Shadow Queen, which introduced Lady Cassidy and the descendants of Dena Nehele. Where The Shadow Queen diverged into unnecessary side-plots involving Witch and her family, Shalador's Lady brings these characters into the story in a meaningful way.

I really enjoyed this book and the entire series. If you haven't read any of the books in the series, this book may be hard to follow. Definitely read The Shadow Queen before picking up this book. If you're a fan of the Black Jewels series, this book will be a return to the joy of the first few books.

I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. There were a few moments that were predictable, but still well worth the read.