So, what do you follow a deep, dark dystopian treatise on the human condition with? Soft core fantasy porn. I’ve decided that’s really the best way to characterize the Black Jewels books. They’re completely written from a women’s point of view, and are totally a guilty pleasure. It does help that they have a unique system of magic, which is one of the things I look for in a good fantasy series, and I do like the relationships among the characters.
This particular book is several short stories and a couple novellas that are firmly in the world-building camp – dealing with some relationships and back stories that aren’t necessary to understand the main action of the series, but are nice to see.