THE QUEEN'S BARGAIN - Anne Bishop

5 stars

The Black Jewels is my favorite world, favorite series. This new entry was all that it promised to be and more.

Good installment?: ★★★★★
Readability (for new readers): ★★★★
Enjoyment: my heart hurts in the best way. perfect.

The Queen's Bargain is being touted as a great entry point for new readers to join the Black Jewels universe without reading all of the backlist titles. I feel like I'm too close to the subject matter to reflect on that without some bias, but honestly, I think I agree. The author has done a fantastic job at conveying the key points of the world for a new audience, and yet continuing on with some of the old faces and old places for those of us who are up to speed.

If you're a newbie reader to this series, don't hesitate—give this a try!

I don't know what to say about this one, folks...read the blurb? It gives a lot of information. And then just jump in. It's perfect, Anne Bishop's writing is a treasure, and the characters are the literal best.

After being so worried to read this—the last installment marked a pretty decisive end to certain things—I'm happy to report that this one stays true to the series while exploring new themes with grace. It's so, so good. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, and I totally lost my mind when I got to the end and ran out of words to read.

Also, don't worry, there won't be a hiatus before the next one--The Queen's Weapons is already slated to be published in 2021. (YES!)

Thank you to ACE and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.