Having been introduced to Anne Bishop’s books before the Sebastian/Belladonna series, I was gratefully thrown into a place of magic and mystery, seductions and betrayals and such a wide range of emotions that even after having had the books for over 6 years, I still find myself cracking open the Heir to the Shadows and starting over. I have the advantage of having been exposed to D&D as a kid, as well as having become a voracious reader throughout my life, and when it comes to High or Dark (depending on how you see it) Fantasy, Ms. Bishop gives a great walk in her Black Jewel Trilogy. Although she touches upon topics that would be avoided in debut books by other others, she (if given a chance) introduces you to a group of people who’s outlooks can be seen as in some aspect instructional on interaction between the genders, and the forgotten art of protocol. I have browsed your site and found your reviews to be enlightening, articulate and engrossing (with a spot-on about the casting for Storm), and would ask if you find a small bit of time to re-start the Black Jewel Trilogy and see if the lighting of it can catch a spark. I look forward to your future reviews.

Christian