Dark Jewels Trilogy

[Lady Adara]

Warning: This thread may end up restricted to a "mature" audience. My post is not offensive or adult, or at least, not to my knowledge, but this is as a warning to readers coming in later. I don't how it will progress.



Some refer to it as the "Black Jewels Trilogy" - I understand that a one-volume copy has been released under that name.

So has anyone read this series? Author is Anne Bishop, and I have to say that the books are a little odd. The generic plotline is good - I like the fact that she's twisted the world around a bit.

Hell is part one of the major settings, women rule without men at their sides, males are the ones who serve and are also the ones attributed with what are typically "female" labels - to put it kindly, the one's associated with a person's... "friendliness". Sorry - I know that sounds ridiculous, but I'm not trying to kill off any of the younger members...

I'm not sure I'd recommend this reading to people under about 16 or 17 - maybe even 18, depending on personal tolerance. It really depends on how much... okay, "knowledge" is the wrong word. I'll stay with "tolerance".

As I said, it's good writing, but, well, the fact that several reviews have summed the book up as "delightfully erotic" (and I think that's a bit of an odd adjective for it), well, you do the math. The first page or so is, to me a large turnoff, but the story picks up from there.

I don't know - anyone's opinion on this?

~ Adara

[Lady Elwen]

Ah, this lovely series....

Well, here's my description of it to Elbereth a week or so ago: "It's like one of those gory car accidents you drive by - you want to stop looking and you just can't."

We were both reading this on recommendation, and while the writing is excellent and the plotline is delightfully twisted, and the hierarchies are fun to play with, especially if you're a decided feminist, but it's... odd. I'd agree with the age recommendation, though - a bit much for the younger people. Yes, the first page is a turnoff, and another one or two afterwards, but the plot is solid with good character development and it's a fun read.

I don't know; it really depends on individual preference. If you can muddle your way through the first page or two and the various scenes of hideous violence, well, go ahead. It's not graphically sexual - it's a large part of description, yes, but there's very little that's explicit. You know when it's happening, but it's not like an NC-17 sex scene. *shrugs* 'Tis a bit odd...

~ Elwen

[Nathron]

Oh, I love Bishop's work with these books. (I admit, I was going to sign off for the night, but I had to respond. In part, her hierarchies are some of the inspiration behind my name.

It's adult reading without a doubt, though I have known a handful of a younger age who have a decided tolerance for and the mentality advanced enough to understand and accept it for what it is. Truthfully, it is all preference. Bishop has created a world based upon a dream--and what comes of sacrificing everything for that dream when the dream is made flesh and the survival of a society is dictated by what little trust is balanced upon the edge of a knife.

She is extremely creative, drawing forth characters in a world where women rule, where the sharp, oft wickedly, purposefully cruel decisions dictate the lives and suffering of men that come out strong nonetheless. Men are not undermined, for Bishop brings forth a menagerie of well-developed, strong, loyal men who will go to any lengths to protect the women they love; in the same manner, not all women are strong dictators living with the sole intent to dominate the male gender. The strongest woman alive comes in revival from abuse and the border of death, from a world where its people play twisted games.

Bishop's description is wonderfully sensual and detailed--the slightest idiosyncrasy is noted without becoming tedious; every scene is awash in ideas and surroundings without overriding the action. As Lady Elwen stated, there is very little of adult terminology that is truly explicit--it is all based within innuendo and carefully coloured language.

I do recommend these books to any who have the gumption to try them, but I will be the first to admit that they are oft not made for the faint of heart. The writing is excellent, the plotline superbly written out and designed, but there are indeed scenes that make one wonder...

~ Nath