B is for Black Jewels

            I began the journey when I was in ninth grade, and I finished it near the onset of my baby steps into the real world. The Queen of the Darkness has become a Song in the Darkness, and I was this close to bawling like a baby all over our dining room table.

            Of course, I’m talking about books. The Black Jewels novels by Anne Bishop. Such a gorgeous story, predating in my history as a reader most of what is currently on my shelves. And last night, I finished Twilight’s Dawn, which I did not expect to be such a lovely wrap up to the story that I thought was finished.

            Your one and only warning if you think you might want to read the books in the future: Spoilers ahead.

            My first big foray into the Internet was a forum for this book series, and we used to debate and discuss all kinds of things about the world, the characters, and where they went after the main trilogy ended. We all acknowledged that Jaenelle, Queen of the Darkness, came from a short-lived race. Therefore, Daemon Sadi would outlive her by centuries, how would he deal with this? We all had our theories, I’ll wager, but I think how Anne Bishop wrote it is just as it was meant to be.

            And Saetan? Our favorite Uncle Saetan? The High Lord of Hell, Prince of the Darkness, and the uncle/father/teacher we all wish we could have in the real world? When he became a whisper in the darkness, I nearly lost it. I’d never given it much thought, but he was one of my favorite characters. Stern but loving, giving guidance and a boot to the ass all at the same time, and teaching what matters about family and honor.

            I knew that this was probably what was coming in the last story of the collection that was Twilight’s Dawn, but still. Jaenelle and Saetan passing away, it hit me harder than I thought. They’ve been characters in the back of my mind for nine years at the very least, ones that made me laugh, made me think, and now, have made me cry.

            It’s amazing how much fictional characters can really come to mean to you. The characters of the Black Jewels novels, of the world of the Blood, will be with me forever, the kind of story that you pass down to anyone who has an open heart and loves to read.

            I’m sorry if this addition to the A to Z Challenge doesn’t make much sense. All I can say is go buy Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop, and read all the books up to Twilight’s Dawn. Maybe you’ll understand.

            I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes from these amazing stories.

            “Far below me, in the psychic abyss that is part of the Darkness, I hear another howling, one full of joy and pain, rage and celebration.”

                        -Daughter of the Blood

Spiraling Into Ebony

            On odd nights when a peculiar mood is riding me, I will go to my bookcases and pull from the shelves my favorite books. I will sit wherever and just flip through the book, reading over my favorite passages, remembering and enjoying a story that has stayed with me long enough for me to revisit it again and again.

            One such book that I often do this with is The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop, the three in one volume containing Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, and Queen of the Darkness. I read this story when I was in ninth grade and the reversal of the every day, of women being dominant and the darkness being understood as our origin and good, captivates my imagination to this day. Lucivar, Daemon, and Saetan are key characters, on the side of honor and what is right. Jaenelle is the dreams made flesh, brought into being to save the three realms from destroying themselves.

            When I was in ninth grade, epic wasn’t a word I used often, but I used it in regard to this trilogy and I still will. Whatever criticism it receives from others, I will always believe it is glorious and the writing influences me to this day.

            I could probably ramble a little more about this trilogy, but I’ll spare you and just leave you with some quotes that still send chills down my spine. In no particular order from the trilogy:

            “They spiral down into ebony, catching the stars with their tails.”

            “Arachna yields to the Lady of the Black Mountain.”

            “I have made the Offering to the Darkness. I am now the Queen of Ebon Askavi.”

            “Not just any witch coming, my foolish sisters, but Witch.”

            “A howling in the darkness, one full of joy and pain, rage and celebration.”

            “Beware the fair haired lady when she glides through the abyss, clothed in spilled blood.”

            “Shaking her head, she gave Jaenelle a poke in the shoulder. ‘There’s no use wailing about it. You’ve taken up the responsibilities of a Queen now, and part of your duties is taking care of the males who belong to you.’ ‘Fine,’ Jaenalle snarled. ‘When do I get to pound him?’”

            “Come on, be a good papa and let great-grandpapa dragon get some rest before all the little dragons pile on top of him.”

            “If you want to end this, you go up to Ebon Askavi and you face what’s waiting for you there. and in case you don’t yet realize who you’re dealing with, I’ll tell you. Witch is waiting for you, Magstrom. Witch in all her dark glory. And the Lady isn’t pleased.”

            “We created the Blood. All the Blood. Therefore, you are all dragonss under the sskin.”

             “I knew it…I knew it was written in male.”

            I could probably come up with more, but that’s enough for a Friday night. May the Darkness be merciful, the Kelswitch over and out.