Rating: 
Summary: IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN
Review: I love it! When I started to read I it didn't want to put it down because it just captured my complete attention. With it being in first person it feels as if you are the character and not just the reader sitting in the comfort of your own home. Phedre, the unlikely herione of the book, is Night-Court trained until she is ten. She is then sold into servitude with Delauney who teaches her (along with another student, Alcun)languages, intrigue, the arts of passion, and most impotantly who to listen, analyze, and remember. The levels of intrigues are so in-depth that I had to reread someparts to understand it. A great novel, and hard to believe first! Miss Carey did a wonderful job! A definate read!
Rating:
Summary: unputdownable...
Review: I debated for months as to whether to buy this - especially as it hasn't been released in the UK yet - but i decided i had to read it the moment i saw the cover art... absolutely stunning. I finished it today, and i can say it just restored my faith in the fantasy genre. As far as characters go, Phedre is intriguing. I loved that nothing in her life is ever simple; that she can accept what she is, and yet hate herself for it, whilst acknowledging that it is a weapon she can use effectively. She gets read-out-loud dialogue, and the kind of self-confidence that drags the reader right in alongside. I got lost at times - i got completely confused as to which noble was which, and what they were doing - but in the end, it doesn't matter. Political intrigue never really grabs my attention, but so long as the characters do, all is forgiven. It isn't fantasy in the usual sense, although there are fantastic elements; i suppose it's really alternate history, although i usually steer clear of that. I wouldn't call it a romance, though. The romantic elements are no more pronounced than in many fantasy books i've read, and i can't stand slush. While i suppose you could term the sex element romance, i really don't think it applies... I've been trying to describe it to people ever since i started reading, but i wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. The sex scenes are integral to the plot, and to the characters, and i can think of a lot of people who won't like that. Some of the reviews here have said as much, but you need to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate exactly what is going on. None of it is gratuitous, exactly - Phedre uses her gifts and her training to gather information, and as bargaining currency, and boy, is she confident that everyone in the entire world wants her in their bed. Usually they do, of course, cos she's the heroine. It's only fair. It reminded me in many ways of Laurell K Hamilton's 'Kiss of Shadows', except far less supernatural stuff. Lots of similar elements; infact, for anyone who's read LKH's work, i'd say this is the direction she's going in. As far as the Tanith Lee comparisons go, this is far more accessable than her similar works, in my opinion. Highest praise? I turned the last page, and wanted to start writing myself. Only very bad or very good books make me want to do that, and this was very, very good. It has a cliff-hanger that you can live with, and i just found out there's a trilogy planned. Not sure how that's gonna work out, but on the evidence here, it should be good!
Rating:
Summary: A First-Time Author Gets It Right
Review: One thing that can be said for most readers of fantasy/science/ speculative fiction, is that while we generally like to be entertained, we also love to be challenged. We're not tied to hidebound notions of "the way things should be"; rather we are far more interested in the way things "could be", or "might have been". Kushiel's Dart is part alternative history, part romance, and part (albeit small) magical journey. Phaedre no Delaunay is one of those intriguing heroines who stretches the limits of what a heroine should be. Is she merely a passive plaything at the hands of a master manipulator, or is she a subtle player in a larger game that even the reader is unaware of? Like Michael Moorcock's intriguing albino, Elric, Phaedre is also blessed/cursed with a rather interesting "gift", and it is the use of this "gift" that forms much of the crux of the novel. There is a rather intriguing take on the Christian faith, and one that may incite hyper-sensitive readers. All others will find it thought-provoking. This is author Jacqueline Carey's first novel, and she is to be commended for writing a multi-faceted novel that takes the reader beyond what a fantasy book can be. This is a huge and lush novel that is to be savored in small bits, and enjoyed like a box of truffles. I am left wanting more from this author, and I am certain that any first time readers will be feeling the same way.
Rating:
Summary: Although outside my normal scope, I loved it!
Review: I have read a lot of fantasy and a lot of political intrigue, however, I have always shied away from the romance/sex genre. For some reason I decided to try this book, and I am so glad I did. If the description of masochistic sex doesn't offend you, then I highly recommend this book. I will not go into great detail, but I felt the book was superbly written, and exciting to read. (I have to admit, I did get lost a few times, it is very complex.)
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent and sensual fantasy intrigue
Review: The story is set in a kind of alternate Europe, primarily in an alter-France called Terre d'Ange. In this world, Christianity never got much of a foothold, because in this world God had a red-headed stepchild, so to speak. Basically, everything's the same as in our world until the crucifixion of Christ (called Yeshua in this world). At that point, Mary Magdalene wept at the cross's feet, and her tears mingled with the blood of Yeshua and produced a kind of angel/god creature called Elua. Some considered Elua an abomination or a mistake, but thirteen angels decided to follow him, reckoning that he was a child of God whether God chose to acknowledge him or not (and God didn't). Also following Elua was a woman named Naamah, a whore who decided to protect and care for this innocent creature by selling herself for his needs---to buy food, to bargain for his life, etc. Elua wandered for a long time and then found the land of Terre d'Ange, where the people there welcomed him, and he and his angels settled down there. Now all the people of Terre d'Ange are known throughout the world for their beauty and grace, since they're all the descendants of angels. And because of Naamah's sacrifices, a sort of "blessed whore" belief has perpetuated itself into the Court of Night-Blooming Flowers---thirteen whorehouse-temples whose prostitutes are all sworn to the service of Naamah (who has the status of the Virgin Mary in this land) in various ways. Some houses specialize in fair, delicate types who blush and faint; others specialize in clownish types who make their patrons laugh; still others specialize in darker arts. Into this mix is born Phedre, a child who's rejected from the house she's born into (the fair-fainting house) primarily because she has a "flaw"---a tiny blood-spot in one eye. In Terre d'Ange, this is called "Kushiel's Dart," and it's the marker of one chosen by the cruelest of Elua's Angels, the one who administered punishments to sinners. It marks Phedre as an "anguissette"---a masochist. Phedre is sold to a man deeply involved in the politics of Terre d'Ange. He understands immediately what her potential is, so he tutors her in languages, histories, all sorts of things, while she grows up and awaits her debut to the service of Naamah. Once she starts her work---making assignations with the wealthy and powerful of Terre d'Ange society (who seem to consist of an awful lot of sadists) and spying on them---she becomes embroiled in the politics of the land. These politics lead her into an extremely complex and unbelievable series of events, taking her into alternate versions of the Nordic lands, Scotland and Ireland, gypsy country, and beyond. Ultimately she is the only person who can save Terre d'Ange from a terrible invasion---and she goes about it in her own unique style. What I love about this book is its protagonist. Phedre is witty, sensual, cultured, and haughty, and although she enjoys being bound and tortured during sex, she's by no means a subservient character. Indeed, that's a theme of the novel, repeated several times--- "That which yields is not necessarily weak." She may play the servant at times, but she's always looking out for her own interests, and those of the people she loves. She can be downright ruthless, frankly, and she manages to bring about the downfall of a number of powerful people. I also love the sensuality of this book. This is a world where all of the whores have spent years studying the erotic arts; they even have a textbook whose title translates, in the faux-French of this world, to "Three Million Joys". And Phedre knows every technique in that book. =P Phedre's assignations are described in delicate but powerful detail---not crude or extensive, but clear enough that the reader sees both how much pleasure she gets from the act, and how she wraps her patrons around her little finger in the process. It's not always pleasant, and those who are repelled by sado-masochism or bondage might find some scenes disturbing. There are also some scenes when Phedre is forced into unwilling slavery to a Nordic lord, and is raped (although because of what she is, she enjoys even this---and hates herself for it). But overall there's more than enough good sex to make up for the not-so-good. Including several female/female scenes; Phedre has no preferences, and her greatest lover/adversary happens to be a woman. (That's another thing I like---there are very few weak women in this novel.) Aside from the lack of m/m stuff, the only other thing I could possibly call a flaw is the absolute complexity of this novel. And I'll qualify that by saying it's not really a flaw; I just prefer not to have to *study* when I read a novel for fun. There are dozens of characters in the book, all from different houses of nobility and different bloodlines of angels and different duchies and so forth, and even quite a few from different countries. And all of them are interwoven in a tapestry of intrigue so deep I almost got lost in it. We discover the threads of this tapestry as Phedre does, and we understand the whole of it only when Phedre comprehends, so for at least half the novel all these characters and all these events are a confusing jumble. Several times I was forced to look at the glossary of characters, thoughtfully placed at the front of the book rather than the back---it's a necessity. However... when the tapestry begins to come together, it does so masterfully, and I realized at that point that all of the layers of detail were absolutely necessary. This is a completely realistic conspiracy, and by the end it's completely realistic that a masochist-spy-prostitute would be the one to foil it. A definite recommend. =)
Rating: 
Summary: Be warned.
Review: This book should come with a warning label. Although it looks like an elegantly written alternate-Europe fantasy, with an engaging premise (actual angels walking the earth, mating with humans) and some fancy writing, the basic premise of the book is that some children are born with sadomasochistic sexual tendencies. This sounds like an excuse to legitimize the predation of pederasts on the helpless young, and when our heroine winds up as a whore-in-training at a house of prostitution that specializes in S/M, the book's tilt becomes all too obvious. Upon such a weak foundation, the author's attempt to build a cloak-and-dagger international intrigue fails miserably, because it is not the *real* story she is telling. If I sound harsh, it's because this is the sound of a cheated reader; I bought this book for a pleasant diversion, not a character study in degeneracy. Unless you're into child porn, give this one a pass. I hope Carey's next attempt is either aimed at the mainstream, or sold in adult bookstores next to "Justine" and the "Story of O" where it belongs.
Rating: 
Summary: Seen it all before
Review: "Kushiel's Dart" has some intriguing ideas, but unfortunately, most of these are contained in the first three chapters. What follows is a tired rehash of Harlequin Romance plot conventions with the occasional fantasy twist. As far as Romance heroines go, Phaedre no Delaunay isn't a bad one. She's smart, strong-willed, stunningly beautiful (of course), nauseatingly talented, and apparently dynamite in bed. This comes in handy, given the amount of political crises threatening her country. In the world of "Kushiel's Dart" there isn't a crisis too big that can't be solved by Phaedre hopping into bed with someone. And if simple sex doesn't suffice, well, she sings. Phaedre, you see, has a very impressive set of vocal cords. With sex and song, she accomplishes what highly trained diplomats cannot. Dump her in Afghanistan and she'd soon sort those pesky Taliban out. The plot of "Kushiel's Dart" not only strains credulity, it takes it out into the street and shoots it. Don't get me wrong. The characters, while stereotyped, are likable enough, and the plot moves fairly quickly. The sex, while kinky by your average Harlequin Romance standards, is well-written and fairly soft-core. If you're looking for a nice, predictable romance with fantasy trappings, this is the book for you. If, on the other hand, you're looking for genuine political intrigue in an original fantasy setting, I suggest you check out Guy Gavriel Kay's "Sailing to Sarantium." Carey writes well, and her work contains flashes of brilliance. The author herself seems to be having fun when she's being original (the Kushiel's Boy's rhyme comes to mind) which gives me hope that in her next book she'll dump the cliched plotlines in favor of a more original story. In the meantime, if you're looking for a rainy day Romance read, you won't go wrong with "Kushiel's Dart."
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: A superb prose stylist, a complex and sympathetic heroine, an engrossing plot. There is, so far as I can see, only one thing to quibble about. In the land of Terre d'Ange, the ruling commandment is to "love as thou wilt." The principal deity of this land, Naamah, sold herself to any who wanted her. The heroine of the book, Phedre, was brought up, first in the Night Court, then by aristocratic Anafiel Delaunay, to be a cultured and highly skilled courtesan. Such courtesans are highly prized, acting as both servants and incarnations of the deity. Yet every now and then, a disparaging comment is made about "whores." Yet this is, in the end, only a quibble, and hardly detracts from what is, all-in-all, a superb first novel.
Rating:
Summary: Vividly imagined characters in an incredibly detailed world
Review: An awesome book. Excellently written with incredibly human characters in an alternate history. I was drawn into the story from the beginning. Some scenes are very graphic and the book is not for children. But all in all it is well worth the time and money you will spend.
Rating: 
Summary: Effectively piercing
Review: I began this novel hesitantly, uncertain what to expect. I was wholly surprised -- and thrilled -- by this unique re-imagining and re-creating of "real" history and the fantasy genre. Probably not for everyone, but if you've an open mind and are willing to invest in a vivid heroine, there's a chance you'll be pleasantly shocked at your own eagerness to delve into the darker passions and mysteries life has to offer -- at least vicariously!
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