Blurb:Set in the realm of The Black Jewels trilogy, this collection features four brand-new revelatory stories of Jaenelle and her kindred.My Comments:Anne Bishop continues to impress. This book contains four short stories from the past and future of the Black Jewels Realms and I love them all, but especially the ones about Lucivar and Marian and about Jaenelle and Daemon.The first is a very short piece about how the golden spiders gained sentience and power.The second tells the story of Lucivar and Marian's courtship. Here, Bishop shows she can take a standard romance outline and tell a magical tale. Many a romance author could read this to find out exactly how to write an alpha male and make a success of it. A brilliant success.The third tells of a black moment in Saetan's life and explains why he never tried to keep Lucivar and Daemon when they were taken from them. We learn that he control of his power and temper was hard won and have part of the answer to the question of who would win if Saetan and Daemon ever faced off.The fourth story takes up where "Queen of the Darkness" left off, telling the tale of how Jaenelle and Daemon reconnect as Jaenelle heals. As these two were my favourites in the main series, this was a total delight. Again, Bishop has taken a romance trope and shown how it should be done in this beautiful fantasy story.Someone is trying to sew discord between Daemon and Jaenelle and they need all their combined strength as they combat this new enemy and come to terms with the changes in Jaenelle due to her actions in "Queen of the Darkness". As some who reads some romance (and reads about it more) this story is a triumph where the characters, facing misunderstanding and confusion sown by their enemy and their own actions, actually talk to each other and resolve the problem instead of letting it fester for hundreds of pages. Congratulations to Anne Bishop, Jaenelle and Daemon.This story shows also shows us fundamental differences between Daemon and Jaenelle and how they compliment each other. Jaenelle does all the things she does because she loves and cares about the people around her. She stays in Challiot for Whilemena, she forms the Dark Court to save the Kindred, she does eveything she does to save the Blood. Daemon on the other hand, does the things he does solely for Jaenelle. She is his concern. His to protect and cherish. If he cares about others (and he does) and what they think of him, it takes a distant backseat to what Jaenelle needs of and from him.This story also provides the rest of what is needed to answer that question of a confrontation between Daemon and Saetan. Especially if it concerned Jaenelle, it would be Daemon. Saetan rightly fears his power and has a rigid control; Daemon will simply use his without any such consideration.I have rapidly become and Anne Bishop fangirl and will happily shout her praises to the rooftops. I am not generally a short story reader, but I do love them when the further my knowledge and understanding of people and places I don't want to leave behind yet. That is exactly what "Dreams Made Flesh" does and it was a welcome addition to the tales of the Blood.[Copied from LibraryThing.]
I have never read a book in The Black Jewels series. I've tried and everytime I open that first book I get irritated. The style doesn't work for me, the characters seem ugh, and yet. I adore this book. I really do. It makes no sense but there you have it. My least favourite is the opening story. I get that that might be because I haven't read the series but it was a bit confusing and while I appreciate the way she wrote it from a different POV, and we were as confused as the spider at first, it still felt like a bit much but at the same time, not enough. The second story is my favourite, hands down. I love Saetan if only because of the way he is as a person is so at odds with who you'd think he'd be because of his position. I love that Lucivar is still pained by the things done to him in his past and yet he doesn't hate all women because of it. And him wooing Marian was so sweet. I love that she was still shy and sweet but had her moments without it seeming forced or taking away from her character. Zuulaman is my second favourite just because it shows a side of Saetan you don't see in the first short story and even while I'm thinking about what was done, at the same time, my heart is breaking for him because no one seems to quite grasp the pain he's feeling as well as the way it has to hurt to have everyone treat him like a monster. I'm unsure as to why someone that powerful couldn't just end his bitch wives and WHY he only seems to have bitch wives since he seems like an intelligent and kind human being but I guess that's what happens when you skip books, lol. The last one wasn't a fave. It was alright. But then again, a main problem I have with the series is Jaenelle so that could be what diminished this for me because it was wonderfully written and I like how we opened with one brother and closed with the other and while there were similarities you could see how they are so different as well. A great book and I'd say I'd try the trilogy again because of this book, but in reality the concept of the actual series fails for me, but this just hit all the right buttons.
What do You think about Dreams Made Flesh (2006)?
Lucivar stracil w moich oczach już wcześniej i jakże byłam szczęśliwa , że autorka zaoszczędziła nam historię jego miłości, która w poprzedniej części pojawiła się znikąd. Cieszyłam się , że Marian jest ledwie cieniem w książce. Bo ilez można o zachwytem nad swoja idealna żona której nawet nie znamy i która mnie nie obchodzi , której mogło by ni ebyc w tej serii. Niestety, Bishop spisała jej , Marian nie jest nikim szczególnym a jego wybór tak naprawde nie byl wyborem, a przypadkiem. Ta historia jest beznadziejna i bezsensu.
—Rozus
"She is everything."Oh, how I had missed this wonderful world and especially these lovely characters. I've come to absolutely love this series and I just can't get enough. I just keep wanting more!In this collection, we get some great stories. How the weavers of dreams came to exist; how Lucivar and Marian met as well as fell in love; what Saetan is truly capable of and what happened to his third son; and finally see how things have been (and new conflicts occuring) after the final book in the trilogy. So many characters to love, so many characters to hate.I wasn't blown away, but I thoroughly loved it and I can't wait to read the next book. Definitely recommended to those who've read the main trilogy. And the series is very much recommended to anyone intrigued in a wonderful, emotional Dark Fantasy series! "She's dreamed of having an extraordinary, ordinary life. Wearing Ebony Jewels, she could only have half of that. With Twilight's Dawn, she'll have all of it."Weaver of Dreams ~ 3 starsThe Prince of Ebon Rih ~ 4,5 starsZuulaman ~ 3,5 starsKaeleer's Heart ~ 4,5 stars
—Vilda
Every time I read these short stories, I feel like I'm getting together with good friends. Sounds kinda weird probably, but I've read the stories set in the Black Jewels Realms more times than I can remember. Yet each time, new parts, places, and dialogue will stand out in a way it didn't before. This time around I found myself really enjoying the language Bishop uses, and the brilliant way that she crafts sentences. As far as the stories themselves, I think they definitely mean more if you're already familiar with the original trilogy. Bishop doesn't waste too much time (or too many pages) on past events, but her characters are clearly affected by them and in certain stories are reacting to things that happened within that original set. Someone who doesn't know them could get confused, but more likely, they will get curious as to what happened and why. Another thing to mention is these stories take place at varying times; two happen before the initial setting of the books, one is set in the middle of the trilogy but was originally glossed over, and one more that takes place after the original stories concluded.I suppose I should also admit that my favorite story out of the four is The Prince of Ebon Rih. Without spoiling anything let me just say that it focuses on Lucivar Yaslana, who is one of my two favorite characters of all the novels of the Black Jewels series and as such, that's why its my favorite. He's just such a fun character to read about! Though if I had to pick, I would want to be Surreal SaDiablo (my other favorite). She doesn't feature quite as much in this collection, but boy does she make her presence known on the page. Okay, now I'm done before I get all giddy and fangirl-y. Happy reading!
—Kerry (The Roaming Librarian)
