The Black Jewels[1] is a series of dark fantasy novels and short stories written by American writer Anne Bishop.
"Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions.
Now the Dark Realm readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself.
And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love—and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining.
Saetan, High Lord of Hell and most powerful of the Blood males, becomes Jaenelle's surrogate father and teacher.
To restore her memory and emotional balance, they move to Kaeleer, where Jaenelle gathers a circle of young Queens.
She claims her place as Queen of Ebon Askavi and secures Kaeleer from the growing threat of Tereille and the corruption that exists there.
But where one chapter ends, a final, unseen battle remains to be written, and Jaenelle must unleash the terrible power that is Witch to destroy her enemies once and for all.
He expects to end up working in the salt mines, but instead is purchased by a mysterious, powerful and feared witch, the Gray Lady.
Dorothea SaDiablo, High Priestess of Hayll, is a member of a long-lived race who is working to rule or control the entirety of the world of Terreille.
The Gray Lady has been fighting her and so Dorothea decides to have her assassinated as she travels to her home territory from the slave auction.
The Gray Lady receives a mysterious warning about the attempt to kill her so she buys a wagon and horses and sets off cross-country with her new slaves, hoping to elude her killers.
The chase leads them to Jared's boyhood home where he discovers that Dorothea's forces have already killed all of the witches in the area and most of his family, including his parents.
The third story tells some of the backstory of Saetan Daemon SaDiablo, and how his then-wife Hekatah tried to manipulate him, including sacrificing his newborn son.
The fourth story tells of Daemon Sadi and Jaenelle and how they began to rebuild their lives after the conclusion of Queen of the Darkness.
Jaenelle reestablishes the connection between Kindred and human Blood, which was broken in the war between Terreille and Kaeleer started by Hekatah.
They have greater Craft (magic) abilities and higher metabolisms, as well as significant political advantages over lighter Jeweled Blood.
Using too much Craft and draining a reservoir can potentially shatter a Jewel and permanently render a person unable to access that power.
They are: White, Yellow, Tiger Eye, Rose, Summer-sky, Purple Dusk, Opal,[a] Green, Sapphire, Red, Gray, Ebon-gray and Black.
Breaking a virgin is a widespread act used for profit and enjoyment and is part of the recurring theme of sexual violence in the series.