Dreams Made Flesh

This is a book of short stories based on the Black Jewels Trilogy. It contains the story of how Lucivar met and married his wife, the beginning of Jaenelle, how Saetan completely obliterated an entire country because of the death of one of his children, and what happened with Daemon and Jaenelle after the third book of the trilogy. I really enjoyed these stories. The one about Jaenelle's beginning was confusing, but other than that they were very well written and enjoyable. I think that Anne Bishop did a good job with these 4 stories

Black Jewels Trilogy

This trilogy is set in a world where darkness reigns, but not in the way you'd think. There are three realms: The realm of light (which is the most corrupt of the three), The Shadow Realm (where the dead and the living can mingle) and Hell (where the demon-dead live). All three are mirrors of each other and you have to go through a special gate to get from one to the other. If you are of the Blood (magic) then your strength is determined by the color of your jewel. The darker your jewel, the more powerful you are. Queens rule, and males serve the queens (protectors, whatnot). In Terrielle (light realm) the ways of the blood have been perverted and powerful women are being destroyed in order for a lighter jeweled priestess to take over the land. Every dreams and wishes that one day Witch would come to save them from this corruption, and one day she does.

The first book is about how she survives her childhood, barely, and the men that love and teach her.

The second book is about her teenage years, dealing with the aftermath of her almost being killed and is basically the gathering of all the major players.

The third book is when things start going down hill and Jaenelle (Witch) has a choice of either letting the realms go to war and all her friends being killed, or sacrificing herself to destroy the corruption.

These aren't a happy, feel good read. They're rather dark and in some places really gruesome. There is a sexual theme to them, but it doesn't dominate the books. I really enjoy these books, they are very intruiging and the characters are very well written.