Book Review: The Black Jewels Trilogy: Queen of the Darkness SPOILERS!

The third, but not final, book in the Black Jewels series, Queen of Darkness continues the story of Jaenelle Angelline, Saetan SaDiablo, Daemon Sadi, Lucivar Yaslana, and Surreal SaDiablo as they fight against Dorothea and Heketah's corruption. Jaenelle Angelline now reigns as Queen, protector of the Shadow Realm. No longer will the corrupt Blood slaughter her people and defile her lands. But where one chapter ends, a final, unseen battle remains to be written. And even Witch cannot stand alone. Somewhere, long lost in madness, is Daemon, her promised Consort. His unyielding love of Jaenelle will complete her court and secure her power. Yet, even together, their strength may not be enough to stave off their enemies. In the end, only a terrible sacrifice can save those Jaenelle loves...

Eight years have passed since Heir to the Shadows. Through that time, Dorothea has gathered many followers and prepares to wage war against the Shadow Realm, Kaeleer. Alexandra Angelline asks Dorothea for help in locating Wilhelmina and is warned that Jaenelle is the Queen, but Alexandra refuses to believe that because Jaenelle can't do basic Craft. In a web of visions, Jaenelle sees two paths: one leading to a war between Kaeleer and Terreille that kills all the Blood, and one in which Witch goes to war. The Weaver of Dreams spots the flaw in that and begins to spin her own web to prevent that ending from happening. In a service fair in Little Terrielle, Lucivar finds Daemon, Surreal and Wilhelmina and signs them to Jaenelle's Dark Court along with several Eyriens. Jorval is unable to stop them and reports his failure to Heketah. Daemon arrives at SaDiablo Hall and finally meets his father. he learns that Jaenelle is alive and the Queen and that she set aside the Consort's ring for him. Alexandra and some of her court arrive and demand that they hand over Wilhelmina and Jaenelle. Daemon and Saetan would love to bury them but Jaenelle arrives at that moment from a tour of her lands.

Saetan receives a letter from Jorval demanding tht Jaenelle heal a very sick man. The man is Kartane.
Alexandra and her allies cause enough stress that, after a failed kidnapping attempt, Jaenelle strips her of all her power and leaves her alive, especially after Alexandra says she did not come from her. It upsets Jaenelle and Daemon tries to cheer her up. Jorval informs Kartane of the recent developments and writes a letter to Magstrom. Magstrom arrives and Jorval introduces him to Heketah who kills Magstrom. Jaenelle arrives a few days later and tells Kartane what his disease is: Briarwood. She also mentions that she created it by using the spirits of the dead children. Since they are gone, she can't undo the spell. Kartane joins Jorval in plotting to help rid Kaeleer of Jaenelle. During the winter, Jaenelle and Daemon finally "get it on." After Winter, Morton is called to a village near a Gate and is killed by a rogue band of Eyriens while Karla and her territory come under attack. Daemon, visiting Khary, responds to Karla's call for help and comes to her rescue. Kaelas, meanwhile, calls a few of his Arcerian brothers together and kill the wicked Eyriens. When Lucivar arrives (after Kaelas tells him), he finds out that one child survived the attack on the village and is currently living with the female Arcerian cats in Kaelas' pack.

A few attack pass before Lucivar, his wife Marion and their child Daemonar are kidnapped by Heketah and Dorothea. Lucivar's mother is also killed. Daemon mentions to Jaenelle that he knew a friend who was married to a woman who used her new found craft to wipe out an entire army. Surprisingly, the kindred have withdrawn from the humans. Jaenelle asks him how it's done and Daemon goes to the Keep to pick up the account from Geoffry. Jaenelle makes modifications while Saetan hands himself over to the two evil queens, trying to free his son, daughter-in-law and grandchild. They imprison him and Jaenelle asks Daemon to distract them for three days. Surreal goes with him and Daemon hands her over to Dorothea under his persona of the Sadist. He kills Marion and Daemonar as punishment for Lucivar shoving him into the Twisted Kingdom and then takes Surreal into the hut where he killed them. He informs her that they aren't dead and are waiting for transport back to Kaeleer. Surreal, with Graysfang, exit the enemy camp and gets Marion and Daemonar and heads for the Keep. Daemon frees Lucivar, after telling him the same, then seduces Heketah into poisoning Dorothea. Daemon frees his father and they arrive at the Keep with Heketah on their six. Meanwhile, Ladvarian has collected good memories from everyone who is loyal to Jaenelle, on orders from the Weaver of Dreams.

They faint and Saetan, Lucivar, and Daemon hear Lorn warn them that Jaenelle is going to cleanse the realms of the evil taint. They see her smash through the webs in fury and each try and hold onto her to slow her down so she won't return to the Darkness. Daemon is the last and stops her from wiping out the Black web since only himself and his father reside on that power level. Jaenelle fades away and they wake up. Draca informs them that the Queen of Ebon Askavi is dead. Daemon breaks down. Marion chews out Lucivar for being angry at Daemon for his trick, saying he has no right to be angry when Daemon spent thirteen years believing he killed Jaenelle; Lucivar tries to help Daemon. Saetan decides to retire from the living realms and asks Daemon and Lucivar to watch over the family businesses still operational in Kaeleer. A few months later, Ladvarian takes Daemon to see what the kindred vanished for: they alone healed Jaenelle because they had no doubts that she would survive and they believe that she's fit to go back and live with her mate and live. Daemon is overjoyed at the news.

All in all, a whopping great novel. Full of action, romance, fantasy lore, and character development to keep one interest from start to finish.

Book Review: Halo: The Flood SPOILERS!

The one and only novelization in the Halo Universe, Halo: The Flood accurately portrays not only the events in the game, but the Marines and Covenant as they all deal with each other on Installation 04. Written by William C. Deitz, a former Navy and Marine Corps medic, Deitz portrays the Marines with in-depth characterizations instead of the unhelpful idiots the NPCs (non-playable characters) are in game. As the fortress wold of Reach and its brave defenders were bombarded to rubble, a single cruiser fled the carnage with the battle's only human survivors--Captain Keyes, his crew of a few hundred Marines, and the last remaining SPARTAN super-soldier, the Master Chief. With the cruiser's artificial intelligence, Cortana, concealed in his battle armor, the Master Chief crash-lands on Halo in the midst of a massive Covenant occupation. Curiously, the alien soldiers appear to be searching for something hidden on the ring. Built by a long-dead race, Halo harbors many dead secrets, but one overshadows them all. Now the Master Chief must lead the scattered troops in a brutal race to unravel Halo's darkest mystery--and unleash its greatest source of power...

I'm barely going to mention the game-stuff as anyone familiar with the game is all ready familiar with it. I'm going to talk about the rest of it. So, the novel opens up with a tech officer unsealing the Master Chief while Keyes and Cortana fight the Covenant Task Force in orbit above Halo. A Sangheili warrior is tasked with capturing Keyes for information that may lead them to Earth. Needless to say, Foehammer, the rest of the pilots and Marines and ODSTs exit the ship. The Master Chief and Keyes also exit and everyone ends up stranded. Keyes is captured by the Covenant by a betrayal from a fellow officer. Major Silva takes a Covenant base and converts it to the humans headquarters. The Master Chief and Cortana rendezvous with Staff Sergeant Johnson and pick up the remaining stranded Marines. Back at base, Silva berates the Master Chief for being a freak and shows hatred for the entire SPARTAN-II program. Then, they form a plan to rescue Keyes. It's a hit and the Covenant react slowly to stop the Master Chief and a squad of Marines from their task.

The next day, The Master Chief and Cortana try and secure the Silent Cartographer while Keyes, with Johnson and his Marines attempt to take a weapons cache. It turns out to be home to something horrible and it kills everyone but Johnson, Keyes, and Jenkins. Cortana and the Master Chief find the Cartographer and head to a terminal on a snowy mountainous level where Cortana informs the Chief that Keyes is in trouble. The Master Chief arrives to find the half-dead Marines which try and kill him. With the help of 343 Guilty Spark, the Master Chief manages to retrieve the Index. Major Silva, meanwhile, is pissed with the Chief because a lot of Marines died when a Sangheili named Zuka 'Zamamee and his team of special operations Unggoy and Sangheili infiltrate the human's base and kill them while looking for the Master Chief whom they call the Demon. Zuka's Unggoy friend, Yayap, are the only survivors from that attempt and head to the remains of the Pillar of Autumn to wait for the Master Chief.

After taking down three energy pylons, the Master Chief heads for the Truth and Reconciliation's remains to rescue Keyes. They're too late and the Chief takes his neural relays to find the Autumn. Meanwhile, the humans have captured the Flood-form of Jenkins. Jenkins keeps trying to kill himself because he knows he's a threat. Silva wants to bring back a live member of each Flood-form for Earth to study. Another officer, after the Chief cleared out Truth and Reconciliation, arms a frag grenade and blows up the ship, killing all the Marines. The Master Chief destroys the Autumn's engines, much to the displeasure of 343 Guilty Spark, and kills Zuka along the way to the docked Longsword. Halo detonates and the Master Chief and Cortana sit the explosion out in the safety of space.

All in all, a very well crafted novel from William C. Deitz. He writes believable characters and situations that could very easily have been cut-scenes in the game. Reading this novel always makes me want to replay the game.

Book Review: Black Jewels II: Heir to the Shadows SPOILERS!

Book 2 of The Black Jewels Trilogy: Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop, continues the story of Jaenelle, Daemon, Lucivar, Saetan, and Surreal as they struggle against Dorothea, Heketah, and Kartane as they prepare for domination over the Shadow Realm (Kaeleer). The Blood have waited centuries for the coming of Witch, the living embodiment of magic. But Jaenelle Angelline, the young girl singled out by prophecy, is haunted by the cruel battles fought over her--for not all of the Blood await her as their savior. Some dismiss her as a myth. Some refuse to believe. And still others look forward to using her, making her a pawn in their shadowy devices. Only time and the love of her guardians have healed Jaenelle's physical wounds. But her mind is still fragile, barely able to protect her from the terrible memories of her childhood. Nothing, however, can keep her from her destiny--and the day of reckoning looms near. When her memories return...when her magic matures...when she is forced to accept her fate. On that day, the dark Realms will know what is means to be ruled by Witch.

HotS picks up where Daughter of the Blood left off: Saetan becomes Jaenelle's guardian via the Dark Council, though not all are happy about it. The book then divides itself into five acts, each one chronicling a part of Jaenelle's life. Though never once does Anne cross into Jaenelle's POV, she does show us the young heroine's journey through her guardians and friends. Lucivar is summoned before Zuultah and Dorothea; they demand to know where Daemon has gone. He refuses to answer and, cruelly, tell him Daemon is wanted for the murder of Jaenelle Angelline. Lucivar vows to kill his half-brother when and if he next sees him. In the Keep, Saetan tells Heketah's agent, Greer, that Jaenelle walks among the dead children, hiding the fact that she survived. Somewhere in Terreille, Surreal and Daemon land. Daemon leaves her behind to get Lucivar and find away across the barriers of the Realms. Lucivar threatens Daemon, who still hasn't fully healed from his mind being shattered, and believes that he killed Jaenelle. In anger and sorrow, Daemon's mind shatters completely and he flees into the unknown. Back in Hell, Saetan longs and hopes that Jaenelle will come back, even telling her that its safe to come home. Saetan is greeted by Surreal's mother, Titian, who promises to keep "trying" to kill him to further deceive Heketah (Harpies, especially Dea al Mon, children of the woods, never miss). Back at Briarwood, Surreal learns from the ghosts that Jaenelle wove a trap for the men: "Briarwood is the pretty poison. There is no cure for Briarwood." and "To each will come what he gave."

Act II: In Kaeleer, a Glacian witch named Karla and her cousin Morton hope Jaenelle will come back. Karla doesn't feel fully safe living with her uncle since he tried to come on to her. Morton takes a letter to Saetan and the High Lord tells Morton that Jaenelle still lives, but not to tell anyone except Karla and that if her uncle should make another forceful pass, they have his protection in Kaeleer and Hell and can use the SaDiablo Hall should they need to. Daemon descends further into the Twisted Kingdom, the inner mind. Heketah demands that Char bring Jaenelle forth. Char summons Saetan, but before Saetan can do anything, a violent storm rages across Hell and kills Heketah's guards. Saetan recognizes the power as being Jaenelle and falls into the psychic mind and brings her forth and back into her body. Her powers are coming back fast, but her mind shields itself from the last few years; Saetan notes that she's forgotten his son. After a terse conversation with Draca, Saetan refurbishes the Hall in Kaeleer and he and Jaenelle go to live there. Saetan hears whispers of dark deeds being done in the nearby town, Halaway. He finds the source and kills him. Saetan takes Jaenelle to Lucivar's mother for training in Basic Craft and she learns that Jaenelle is Saetan's daughter of the soul and that she can't perform basic magic without looping it through an entire room before summoning something as simple as shoes. Greer, on Heketah's orders, tries to find out why Saetan came back to Kaeleer. A wolf attacks him. Greer escapes and tells Heketah that Jaenelle lives. The wolf reveals himself to be a Prince and able to use magic. Jaenelle promises that these humans are good and before long, they move his den near the Hall so Jaenelle can have friends and protection, even after hunters kill a few and harvest them. Another friend, this time a unicorn, arrives and wants to see Jaenelle while Titian kills Greer. Several invitations are sent out across Kaeleer and all of Jaenelle's friends show up. They stay the summer and Saetan watches them grow up. The Dark Council wants to take Jaenelle away, so she stops time. After several "days" the Dark Council backs off and time resumes, but she has to do social things in Little Terreille.

Act III: Lucivar breaks free and tells Daemon that the death he's been waiting for won't come. Lucivar leaves and tries to kill himself. Prothvar rescues him and for the next several months, Lucivar lives with Jaenelle in her cabin. He finds out that some boys want her for pleasure and she's starving herself to near-death. He also learns, from Jaenelle talking in her sleep, that Daemon saved her. Lucivar tearfully and silently vows to protect her for Daemon's sake, because he feels guilty over what he said to his half-brother. Daemon meets up with Surreal and agrees to stay, since she's the only one he trusts. Geoffrey, the Keep's librarian, informs Lucivar the Saetan formally registered him and Daemon in the Keep they day they were born and that they weren't bastards. Lucivar meets his mother and doesn't get along well with her. Jaenelle takes him to meet his father. Privately, Lucivar tells Saetan that Daemon is in the Twisted Kingdom and that he pushed his half-brother in. Lucivar tells Saetan that it was Greer who raped Jaenelle and Saetan nearly loses his calm. Saetan tries to reach Daemon in the Twisted Kingdome believing he can reach his son. Daemon mind-yells at him and all attempts are withdrawn, leaving Saetan broken-hearted. Jaenelle returns with an orphan Arcerian cat named Kaelas and a Scelt (Sc pronounced Sh) puppy named Ladvarian. Tersa notes that everything is in place and wants to find Daemo. Jaenelle finds out and becomes angry with Saetan for abandoning him all those years ago. Saetan protests that he hadn't known where Daemon was till Lucivar arrived but Jaenelle, despite Lucivar telling her the truth, doesn't hold his half-brother accountable as anything would've set him down that path. Jaenelle, after talking to Lorn, agrees to stay in Kaeleer and use a Shadow to search for Daemon. Her Shadow meets up with Surreal and learns that, a few months ago, Kartane showed up and she and Daemon fled, but when she came off the Webs, he'd vanished. She's been living in secret since Kartane now knows Surreal is his daughter. She promises to help look for Daemon.

Act IV: A few years later, Lucivar feels something wrong with Jaenelle through his Ring of Honor. He rushes to her aid and finds that the man who, using a drug and compulsion spell, she married has been torn to shreds during their consummation. Lucivar notes she's been drugged with safframite, a powerful addictive. He takes her blood-letting in the forests with a few of the kindred. Saetan, in anger, purges Hell of Heketah's minions. Lucivar and Jaenelle feel a fight happening beyond Ebon Rih. They race there and find the small city under attack by the Jhinka. After several days of fighting, Jaenelle saves all but one person and unleashes her anger on the Jhinka, wiping this group out. A few days later, Jaenelle hears from Surreal that she's been able to find Daemon. Jaenelle want to get to him and heal him before they lose him again. Lucivar, concerned for her health, refuses to allow her to do anything until she's recovered. Lucivar offers to go and get him but Jaenelle demands to know why Daemon would trust him. Ladvarian and Kaelas demand to know why she isn't doing as she promised and Saetan informs them that her promise to Daemon was made before her promise to them. She finds Surreal and Daemon and kills his doubts and shows him the path back. Because her body is weak, she marks the trail and leaves him. Daemon ascends slowly. Kartane is on the war path, but Jaenelle fogs the area while Surreal gets Daemon to safety.

Act V: Heketah convinces Jorval, a councilor, to grant land to Queens from Little Terreille that belong to the kindred. These people begin slaughtering the unicorns of their land. Meanwhile, Jaenelle, having turned 18, is presented with her own house. The following day, she flees for the unicorn's territory while everyone else struggles to chase after her. The unicorns greet them all with hostility. Lucivar learns from a dying man that they were given permission to settle here and that the "beasts" should clear off. After several hours, Saetan finds Jaenelle while Lucivar finds Moonshadow, the Queen of the unicorns. Jaenelle sings the dead kindred to the Darkness and demands that the Dark Council recognize the kindred as Blood. They refuse and Jaenelle makes the Offering to the Darkness and comes out with one Ebony jewel (make from five of her 13 Black jewels). She calls all her friends together, each of whom is either a Queen and ruling over a territory or a warlord prince married or serving them, and asks them if they will serve her. Saetan notes that that can't happen but all of the Queens and Warlord Princes who watch over a territory yield their lands (Glacia, Dea al Mon, Scelt, Nharkhava, Dharo, Tigrelan, Centauran, Sceval, Arceria, The Fyreborn Islands, Dhemlan, Askavi, and Arachna) to Jaenelle, to Ebon Askavi: the Black Mountain and Keep. She goes back to the Dark Council and presents her ultimatum as well as a map with her recently established lands marked on it. Everything BUT Little Terreille belongs to Jaenelle. The novel ends with Daemon stepping out of the Twisted Kingdom.

All in all, a decent, lengthy novel that vividly captures the imagination and wonder of a pure fantasy realm. Props to Anne Bishop.

Book Review: Halo: The Fall of Reach SPOILERS!

The very first Halo novel, Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund tells not only the Battle and Fall of Reach, but how the Spartan-2 project came into existence, how Jacob Keyes became a Captain, and how Cortana was created into being. While the brutal Covenant juggernaut sweeps inexorably through space, intent on wiping out humankind, only one stronghold remains--the planet Reach. Practically on Earth's doorstep, it is the last military fortress to defy the alien onslaught. But Reach's defenders have another, higher priority: to prevent the Covenant from discovering the location of Earth. Outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers seem to have little chance against the Covenant, but Reach holds a closely guarded secret. It is the training ground for the very first "super soldiers." Code-named SPARTANs, these highly advanced warriors, specially bioengineered and technologically augmented, are the best in the universe--quiet, professional, and deadly. Now, as the ferocious Covenant attack begins, a handful of SPARTANs stand ready to wage ultimate war. They will kill, they will be destroyed, but they will never surrender. And at least one of them--the SPARTAN known as the Master Chief--will live to fight another day on a mysterious and ancient artificial world called Halo...

The prologue beings with the Battle and Fall of Jericho VII. The Master Chief and Blue Team prevent Covenant forces from getting a fortress up and running, but lose the planet to the Covenant's glassing. Back in the past, Lt. Jacob Keyes and Dr. Catherine Halsey land on Eridanus 2 where Halsey looks over a boy called John. For the next few years, John and the other children, trained by CPO Franklin Mendez and an AI called Deja to fight against the Insurrectionists. Halsey has them bioengineered for super strength and speed. Not all make it through. A few months later and their first mission against the Innies goes well but dark times approach soon.

Admiral Stanforth, in a private meeting, reveals that Harvest has fallen to an unknown alien race. John-117 and the rest of the SPARTANs are being accelerated to Project MJOLNIR. During a fight against the Covenant, the SPARTAN known as Sam dies. In the Sigma Octanus Star System, the Covenant appear and attack. Jacob Keyes, now a Commander, fight the enemy. Admiral Stanforth arrives with the second largest space fleet ever seen and help retake the system while the Master Chief and three teams of SPARTANs retake the planet. During the battle, Keyes is promoted to Captain. The Covenant retreat, but not before placing a tracing beacon onto Keyes' ship. It leads them to Reach.

John-117 is given the MJOLNIR armor and tests it out with the AI Cortana. They pass with flying colors. A new mission is assigned the entire SPARTANs and Keyes. They are to take Pillar of Autumn and perform a hit in Covenant Space and capture a Prophet. Just as they are about to leave, the Covenant show up and being to destroy the planet. The Master Chief sends all of the SPARTANs down to defend Reach except Linda. Johnson and his strike team are disabling every vessel that's been damaged, wiping data so the Covenant can't find Earth. Linda and John end up in cryo. (This whole ending part of the novel takes place over the events of Halo: Reach, which shows the SPARTAN 3's waging war against the Covenant). Pillar of Autumn flees Reach and ends up in the Threshold system, where a mysterious ring is balanced between Threshold and its moon Basis.

All in all, a very well crafted and fast-paced novel from Eric Nylund. Despite being an 11-year-old novel, it's still one of the best in the Halo franchise.