Author: Anne Bishop
Publish Date: March 3, 2009
Pages: 429
Goodreads Synopsis:
Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand—without a leader and without hope.
Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who remembers the Blood’s code of honor and lives by the Old Ways. The woman chosen to rule Dena Nehele, Lady Cassidy, is not beautiful and believes she is not strong. But she may be the only one able to convince bitter men to serve once again.
This is the story of Cassie, a homely Rose jeweled Queen who goes from losing her village to ruling an entire territory. This is not without it's challenges though. There are a lot of lovable characters, new to the Black Jewels novels. You get to love and hate them, and continue down the story of Daemon and Janelle.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a follow-up to The Invisible Ring, which provides a lot of history and back story, but is not required.
Highly recommended.
