Um. Okay, there's this world that has three... layers, for lack of a better word. These layers, or Realms, are arranged as sort of giant circles around this whacking great mountain, and there are ways to travel between them. Terreille is normalish, aside from the magic and the occasional people with wings. Kaeleer is wilder and more shadowy. And Hell is dark and for the dead.
Magical power comes from darkness (not evil, though, just darkness) and is controlled by Jewels that determine your magical strength. The darker the jewel, the stronger your power.
Things have been going rather badly wrong for several thousand years now, but a girl, Jaenelle, is born to be Witch, dreams made flesh, and things are about to change.
Interestingly, the story is told entirely by people around Jaenelle, those who support her and those who are trying to bring the three Realms under their own control. And there are some interesting experiments done with gender roles and social structures, particularly in Terreille, where the entire fabric of society has become twisted.
Really bad things happen to a lot of the characters. (Rape of children, mutilation, large-scale massacres, etc.) And even the "good guys" do some horrific stuff.
It's an interesting series. The author is Anne Bishop, and the three books are "Daughter of the Blood," "Heir to the Shadows," and "Queen of the Darkness."
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Magical power comes from darkness (not evil, though, just darkness) and is controlled by Jewels that determine your magical strength. The darker the jewel, the stronger your power.
Things have been going rather badly wrong for several thousand years now, but a girl, Jaenelle, is born to be Witch, dreams made flesh, and things are about to change.
Interestingly, the story is told entirely by people around Jaenelle, those who support her and those who are trying to bring the three Realms under their own control. And there are some interesting experiments done with gender roles and social structures, particularly in Terreille, where the entire fabric of society has become twisted.
Really bad things happen to a lot of the characters. (Rape of children, mutilation, large-scale massacres, etc.) And even the "good guys" do some horrific stuff.
It's an interesting series. The author is Anne Bishop, and the three books are "Daughter of the Blood," "Heir to the Shadows," and "Queen of the Darkness."