Re-read Review ~ The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

OLD REVIEW in black new thoughts in Purple

TITLE: The Shadow Queen
AUTHOR: Anne Bishop
COPYRIGHT: 2009
TYPE: Fantasy
PAGES; 448
SERIES: oh yeah
1. Daughter of the Blood
2. Heir to the Shadow
3. Queen of Darkness
4. The Invisible Ring (need to read)
5. Tangled Web (currently Reading)
6. Dreams Made Flesh (read 2 of the 4 in this anthology)
7. The Shadow Queen
8. Shalador's Lady (coming out real soon!!!)

REASON FOR READING: I fell in love with the trilogy and had to read everything that has to do with the characters I’ve grown to love (Since the newest book is about this story with Cassie and Grey I thought I should re-read it to catch up that and b/c I just rec'd this book in the mail!)

SUMMARY: {From goodreads}
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

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed catching up with J and D. I loved seeing S & L and learning where they were at in life. Aymless has a review posted that I tend to agree with. While I enjoyed reading and catching up with old friends their story tended to interfere with the new story revolving around Gray and Cassie. Whom I totally adore and what to know more about, I felt their story was rushed at the end and could have been a totally separate book from the others. (My thoughts are still the same I throughly enjoyed this book. I did feel as if D and J took up a lot of the story simply b/c that is who we know in the series the best! Really though they could've left that out and focused more on Cassie's story it was interesting enough to stand alone.)

Things I enjoyed:
Like I stated above it was really nice getting to see where the old friends where in life and seeing little flashbacks here and there of their lives previous to the trilogy. However, I would have liked either a book about them or a separate book. Or I would have even enjoyed another short story book like Dreams Made Flesh to catch up.
I liked seeing Cassidy and Gray interact and felt there wasn’t enough of that interaction. I loved watching Gray struggle with his past to be the man that Cassidy needed in order to heal herself and I felt that in a way that was missing b/c we kept going back to D & J’s relationship.
I did however, like how all the men from Sadi and Lucivar as well as the other warlord princes interacting with Cassie. Showing her how she should be treated as a Queen but never letting her get to big of a head. However, knowing Cassidy that wouldn’t have been a problem she was damaged not in the same way as Gray but still hurt bad enough that she needed healing too.
(I loved watching Grey advance from a hurt scared child into a Warlord Prince. I really did enjoy the dinner scene where Grey explains that he has scars to Daemon and Satean and they understood. It is true had Grey not been tortured Theran would be completely over shadowed by him and I am beginning to think that is already happening.
One of my favorite scenes that I didn't mention last time was the fight scene with Cassie and the non-bloods she attempts to protect. B/c of her standing up to a warlord prince she brings the people together even more. I really admire how she stood up for what's right and didn't except the fact her lower jewel might loose the battle.)

Things I didn’t care for:
I did not, under any circumstance did I, enjoy Theran he was a complete and total ass through out the whole damn book. Is seriously kept hoping Lucivar would kill him. My God what a horrible person and try as I might I just couldn’t like him. He didn’t do anything that made me want to like him and if it wouldn’t have broken up her court I would have continued to wish him dead till the end. Hell even at the end I don’t feel as if he changed all that much. If there’s another book I hope it involves his death and his replacement. BLECH
(YEP Still hate him I tried really hard to see his side and yet still couldn't. I hated that it took Cassie finding a treasure that explained to him that she was the only way his land would be cured for him to realize what an excellent treasure she was. The whole time he kept going on and on about how disappointed he was that her jewel was so light and how weak she was. Hell he didn't even help her when she was battling to protect the non bloods b/c they weren't good enough for him. I really hope in the new book that comes he grows a little more and possible matures.)

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Sadly enough folks this was a library book but it is going on the To Be Bought pile as soon as it comes out in paperback. (I um own it now so yeah for sure keeping!!!)


Anything Else: .You do not have to read the series to understand this book. HOWEVER, in order to fully appreciate the richness of the world Ms. Bishop has created you really should start at the beginning. (I sort of lied about this b/c at the time I hadn't read The Invisible Ring now that I have I highly recommend you read that one first so that you understand what treasure is being discussed and Lia and Jarod who are the main characters in the ring book. They are the ones who Grey and Therian are related to and to know the history really enriched this book for me.)