Advertisement

Dreams Made Flesh is a wonderful addition to the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. The four stories contained in the collection are "Weaver of Dreams," "the Prince of Ebon Rih," "Zuulaman," and "Kaeleer's Heart."

"Weaver of Dreams" is a brief history of the creation of the Spinner of Dreams, spiders. The evocative, rich, mythological inspiration for Draca's relationship to the spiders is fascinating to read about.

"The Prince of Ebon Rih" is Lucivar Yaslana and Marian's story. Many of the customs of Eyrien race are explored along with the intricate love between Lucivar and Marian. This story takes place at the conclusion of Heir to the Shadows.

"Zuulaman" is the story of the lengths Hekatah went to try and control Saetan. We learn a great deal about Hayll's Hundred Families and how Saetan became the ruler of the Dhemlan Territories. This story of treachery shows just how far Hekatah was willing to go to get her way.

"Kaeleer's Heart" is the long awaited story of what happened after the conclusion of Queen of Darkness. Janelle is healing, but not fast enough for Daemon. The real question is if Janelle wants to be all that she once was. Also addressed is the significance of Twilights Dawn, the jewel Janelle now wears. Many of the vibrant characters seen in the Black Jewels Trilogy make appearances in the story.

Dreams Made Flesh is a nice addition to the Black Jewels Trilogy. "Zuulaman" explains much of Saetan and Hekatah. "Kaeleer's Heart" puts a wonderful spin on the ending to the Queen of Darkness and gives a much more satisfying end to the series. The weakness of this collection is that is not a stand-alone. This book is primarily for fans of the series.

Alisa discovered science fiction at the tender age of eight. She devoured The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and never looked back. She lives in Chicago with her husband, cat, and 5000 books. For more information please visit her website at alisaandmike.com.