The Queen’s Price, by Anne Bishop

In the world of the black jewels, Daemon Sadi, Warlord Prince and the High Lord of Hell has established a school to train and protect a new generation. Many of the young queens and witches are vulnerable since the foiled attempt to re-establish a vicious culture previously thought to have been banished. Meanwhile Sadi’s disgraced daughter Saetien embarks on a heart quest to find her place in the world, needing distance from her family to find her way after her part in the devastating events. Her journey revisits the past, forcing her to confront unpalatable truths and come to terms with her father’s nature and role in the world. The story she uncovers fills in some gaps from previous books in the series and sounds a warning to the new generation not to repeat history. All must ponder what is the Queen’s price and whether they are prepared to pay it. Anne Bishop’s worlds are immersive and addictive, exploring a breadth and depth of lands, creatures and powers that are also based on very real human behaviours and relationships. The Queen's Price presages a changing of the guard, which also offers exciting possibilities for new storylines in this world.