Anne Bishop - the Black Jewels Trilogy

[Something Else]

I just finished the first book in this series, Daughter of Blood, and am deeply ambivalent about the series. Since I have the omnibus edition, I was left on a cliffhanger, and there's a friendly old Grandpa named Saetan in the books, I will have to keep reading; but on a lot of this series disturbs me.

That may seem to go without saying to anyone who has hit the twist in the first book; but even before the true nature of the first book's villains were revealed I thought that the book's sexual politics were somewhat disturbing. Bishop seems to be trying to do a feminist deconstruction of fantasy, in a sort of mirror universe where Saetan is the nice guy and the Darkness is good while women keep male sex slaves - and it seems like the descriptions of the oppression of males are a bit too loving, making the series almost a fem-Gor.

On the other hand, when compared to A Song of Ice & Fire, it's a relief to see the villains get what they deserve - and when the descriptions of their crimes are going to be keeping me up tonight that's a good thing...

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Beckett]

My wife turned me on to the series while we were dating. There are definitely some squicky moments, but I think it's always made clear that these are bad things being done by bad people. Still, not a series for everyone.

I really like Saetan (while rolling my eyes at the name). The High Lord of Hell, and he's trying to keep up with a young girl. It's fun to see a character with as much power as he possesses actually using it from time to time- the opening to the second book is one of my favorite scenes.

I agree that's it's nice to see the bad guys getting what they deserve. Heck, after what they'd done, I often found myself thinking this character or that got off light.

If you enjoy the trilogy, I'd recommend the other works she's done in that setting: The Invisible Ring takes place about a hundred years before, and I think is referenced in the third book; Dreams Made Flesh is three shorter stories, with one on Saetan during life, one set during the trilogy, and one serving as an epilogue to the series.