The Shadow Queen - Anne Bishop

The Shadow Queen
Anne Bishop
New American Library
Copyright: 2008
9780451462541

From the chapters/indigo website:

From the national bestselling author of the new novel set in the adarkly fascinating worlda("SF Site") of the Black Jewels.
Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand without a leader and without hope.
Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who remembers the Blood's code of honor and lives by the Old Ways. The woman chosen to rule Dena Nehele, Lady Cassidy, is not beautiful and believes she is not strong. But she may be the only one able to convince bitter men to serve once again.

I've read The Shadow Queen before, but it was just as good this time as it was before. The inspiration for this read was to refresh my memory on the events that happened for Cassidy prior to the start of the newest book, Shalador's Lady, and the particular details of the characters. This is the book that links The Invisible Ring back into the direct line of the Black Jewels Trilogy. Talon's back (as demon-dead), and we find out what happened to Lia, Thera, Jared and the others.

The end of the Black Jewels Trilogy ended with a bit of a cliff-hanger as to the fate of the realms cleansed by Jaenelle and her family, but The Shadow Queen begins to answer what happened there. It's a story as captivating as the previous set of books was.

I have to say I love the interaction between the characters, particularly between the original characters, Jaenelle, Saetan, Daemon and all of the others. They always leave me laughing - especially the males when they're discussing the women among them. That persistant belief that it's better to remain ignorant of what they're doing always cracks me up. And, Luciavar's threat to let his son run unsupervised in the library..... That just cracked me up.