Book Review: The Queen's Weapons by Anne Bishop

The Queen's Weapons
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: Black Jewels (Book 11)
Publication: Ace (March 9, 2021)

Description: Enter the dark and sensual realms of the Black Jewels, a world where power always has a price, in this sweeping story in the New York Times bestselling fantasy saga.

They are Warlord Princes, men born to serve and protect. They are the Queen's Weapons, men born to destroy the Queen's enemies--no matter what face that enemy wears.

Daemonar Yaslana knows how to be bossy yet supportive--traits he shares with his father, the Demon Prince, and his uncle, the High Lord of Hell. Within his generation of the family, he assumes the role of protector, supporting his sister Titian’s artistic efforts and curbing his cousin Jaenelle Saetien’s more adventurous ideas. But when a young Eyrien Queen, someone Titian thought was a friend, inflicts an emotional wound, Daemonar's counterattack brings him under the tutelage of Witch, the Queen whose continued existence is known only to a select few.

As Daemonar is confronted by troubling changes within and around the family, he sees warnings that a taint in the Blood might be reappearing.  Daemonar, along with his father and uncle, must uncover the source of a familiar evil--and Daemon Sadi, the High Lord of Hell, may be forced into making a terrible choice.

My Thoughts: The eleventh book in the Black Jewels series concentrates mainly on the younger generation - Daemonar, Titian, and Jaenelle Saetien - in a story which shows that the evil their parents battled wasn't completely destroyed. It will be necessary to battle it again or all will be lost.

Jaenelle Saetien has had a charmed childhood free from the turmoil and dangers her parents faced which makes her vulnerable when evil in the person of someone she admires and wants to be accepted by tries to slither in. 

Daemonar is also facing another face of the evil in a young woman who is a queen but does not understand that along with the privileges come responsibilities. When she hurts Titian's feelings, Daemonar rushed in to protect his sister and makes an enemy for himself. It does serve to let his elders know that evil has been stamped out.

I enjoyed this story which had a lot to do with the vigilance needed to keep evil away and the costs that had to be paid for careless mistakes. It was filled with many favorite characters from the series and added some new and interesting characters too.

Favorite Quote:

"It's important to have a place where people don't think you're scary."

What does this child think about when she's on her own? And how big a heart does a person need to understand that truth at so young an age?

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.