Individual volumes in some trilogies stand alone, but Heir to the Shadows is dependent on and enriched by the events of Daughter of the Blood . Heir takes up the story almost immediately after the suspenseful ending of Daughter . Saetan makes Jaenelle his ward against all opposition, thankful that she has no memory of the event which shattered her mind. Lucivar is still in captivity, fearful of losing his leather wings to rot, and mistakenly blaming Daemon for the violence perpetrated on Jaenelle. And poor lost Daemon his memory has fractured so much that he can't remember whether he helped or hurt Jaenelle, the girl he is convinced is destined to be the lover he has awaited two thousand years.
Heir reads very much like a bridge book.
As the second volume of a trilogy, it sets up the connections between the first book and the forthcoming Queen of the Darkness . Daughter showed the damage caused by perversions of love, sex, and power. The results were some deep sacrifices made by Saetan and his sons in order to save Jaenelle. Presumably, this foundation of love upon which Jaenelle can now depend will lead to a dramatic conclusion involving romantic love. Also, the political maneuvering amongst the enemies of Saetan for control of Jaenelle and the three realms of Terreille, Kaeleer, and Hell are stepped up in this book.