The Invisible Ring

The Invisible Ring is a standalone novel set in the world of the Black Jewels trilogy. If you enjoyed that you'll be pleased to know that Daemon Sadi makes an appearance in this book as well. This is not a prequel, but it's set early on in the series, when Daemon was still a slave.

Jared is a warlord who wears red jewels, which means he has fairly strong magic at his disposal. In spite of this he has been made a pleasure slave and been bound by a Ring of Obedience for the past nine years. He winds up at a slave market and is bought by a notorious but mysterious queen, and he thinks his fate is sealed. He plans to escape his captivity rather than face life with another tyrannical ruler.

Jared is another of Anne Bishop's dream guys: considerate as well as passionate, and willing to fight for the people he cares about. In spite of being brutalised in his past, his heart is always in the right place. There's tons of simmering sexuality as Jared and the band of slaves accompany the Grey Lady on a long and difficult journey back to her home.

Dorothea SaDiablo, the twisted Priestess of Hayll, is no fan of the Grey Lady, so she sends her minions after the group in order to destroy them. In addition, more than one of their party is pretending to be something they are not, and someone seems to be letting Dorothea know where they are. Anne Bishop's signature violent streak is in evidence, and there are occasional scenes of stomach-churning grisliness as they fight to stay alive.

At heart though this is a romance, fairly obvious as regards the plot but fun all the same. The people of this female-dominated world are often slaves to their emotions, and feelings can take on the force of unstoppable, primal instincts. The more powerful the characters are, the less capable of self-control they seem to be.

The Invisible Ring will satisfy anyone who has read the Black Jewels trilogy and wants more of the same. Big on passion and full of impact, it builds up nicely to a climax. If you want an undemanding read that's by turns romantic, adrenalin-pumped and a little offbeat, then read this book.