“*No,* he said gently when her words finally stopped, *they don’t want you. They don’t love you, can’t love you. But I do love you. The Priest loves you. The beautiful ones, the gentle ones—they love you. We’ve waited so long for you to come. We need you with us. We need you to walk among us.*”
― Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood

After hearing that this book inspired Sarah J. Maas to write A Court of Thorns and Roses, I read it. However, I was thoroughly unprepared for the harsh world that Bishop created, especially towards Jaenelle. The main plot is simple; there is a prophecy that the Witch will return and restore order to their world. A few thousand years later, a young girl, Jaenelle, starts to appear in lands considered lost. It is during her meeting with Saetan that it becomes apparent that Jaenelle has immense power and needs honing it. Jaenelle gains the help of Saetan and the protection of his son, Daemon. However, Jaenelle’s apprenticeship with Saetan starts a chain of events that results in Jaenelle being abused. 

The novel’s ending was the most difficult to read and left me wondering if Bishop should have aged up Jaenelle. It was uncomfortable to read about Daemon’s physical response to Jaenelle, a twelve-year-old child. After looking back on the story, I wonder if the ending was to paint Daemon differently as he did not act on those urges, unlike the aristocratic men within the courts. There are many politics between the living and the dead, and the hierarchy symbolized by jewels is unique. 

This story is not for the weak but has compelling villains and morally grey characters.