Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions. Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence-and corruption.
Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men-sworn enemies-know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love-and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining...
Reviews
"Mysterical, sensual, glittering with dark magic, Anne Bishop's debut novel brings a strong new voice to the fantasy field." -- Terri Windling, co-editor of YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR
"Anne Bishop's debut novel is a complete delight. It's a high fantasy that plays with the conventions with its cast of demons and the lords and ladies of Hell as sympathetic protagonists. Intricate plotting, fascinating characters, high drama, and dark magic combine for a powerful, riveting read. And while normally I'm not particularly enamored with trilogies -- this installment stands on its own quite well, by the way -- in this case I can't wait to see what Bishop does with the next book."—Charles de Lint
"The prophecy of a coming Queen destined to shake the foundations of the Dark Kingdom heralds a war of intrigue and Machiavellian politics as three rivals seek control over the innocent young girl fated to ascend to greatness. Lavishly sensual and overtly erotic, Bishop's fantasy debut features a richly detailed world based on a reversal of standard genre cliches of light and darkness. Fans of Tanith Lee's Flat Earth series may appreciate this adults-only series opener." Library Journal
About the Author
Anne Bishop is a winner of the William L. Crawford Memorial Fantasy Award for The Black Jewels Trilogy, presented by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts.
