Written by Anne Bishop
Published 1998

Greed and Power make for a bad combination and war is looming between the Realm of Light and the Shadow Realm. The High Priestess of Hayll wants more than what she has and will do anything to get it. The High Lord of Hell and two pleasure slaves will protect and serve the only woman who can keep the war at bay. But first they have to save her from her family.

Enter the world of the Blood, where Daughter of the Blood takes what you know about fantasy and turns it on its head. Anne Bishops’ engrossing world will obliterate the lines drawn between good and evil, Light and Dark.

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Among many of my friends this is the beginning of the trilogy. Many of us begin conversations regarding this, and the other Blood, novels as, “Was reading the books again and…” and somehow the other person knows which books we’re talking about. Oh, we have to explain it to those who haven’t read them, but once we start, they’re usually asking where the books can be found.

Oh yes, I’m a rabid fangirl for these novels. There are currently five total with a sixth to be released (according to Anne’s website) in 2008. The only other novels that come close, in my opinion, are those of Jacqueline Carrey (The Kushiel novels), and I’d still take the Blood novels with me to a deserted island first.

The characters are richly described and will etch themselves into your mind, leaving you screaming “MORE” when you’ve reached the final chapters. The landscapes of the novels will sweep you off your feet and make you wonder where the portal is to get there. These novels are in no way, shape or form lacking and rarely leave anyone unsatisfied when they conclude, just wrung out like a junky needing a fix.

Note, however, that I give no names of the characters and only hint at the aforementioned landscapes. To say much more would be to ruin the “You mean the man with a name like that is a good guy” element of surprise. And while, yes, the writing in Daughter of the Blood can sag in some places, the characters and the story more than make up for it and the quality of the writing only soars as you continue to enfold yourself in the Realms of Light and Shadow.

So enter the Realm of Light and see just what it hides. And do not…. I repeat DO NOT read the last chapters unless you have book two (Heir to the Shadows) in your hands. You’ve been warned and I’m not responsible for damage done to thrown books.