Rating: 
Summary: Weird story
Review: Bad book- too much annoying go-at-it sex and violence, not enough of a real plotline to keep me interested, and how can any of you justify reading this book in public? It'll scare people. All three in the series have a chunky shirtless woman on the cover.
Rating: 
Summary: Consider before reading
Review: For how popular this novel and it's sucessors are, I find it hard to believe that all the people seeming to be reading are really understanding it. To put it simply, this book is more difficult to read than Guy Gavriel Kay, and that's saying something. The intricate language and complicated situations would normally be fascinating to me, but in this instance, the author comes across as not sounding intelligent, but trying to sound impressive. I thought the purpose of writing a novel was to entertain your readers, not confuse them and to try and sound smart at their expense. Right now I'm not trying to represent those of lesser intelligence, because seriously, this book is very hard to read. I found myself zoning out as I tried to stay focused. Also, though someone thinking about buying this book probably would have already figured this fact out from reviews, this book basically deals with a woman whose occupation is prostitution, and in the fantasy world in whcih she lives, it isn't a career that was frowned upon. Another thing to be wary of- if the very erotic bothers you, skip this book. The author really gets into the varied S&M forms of sex in Kushiel's Dart. The biggest problem I had is that it seems to be the norm that with these complex stories, many extraneous characters and events are introduced into the plot- and then never have any significance later on. Well, why is that? To add more color to the story? It's just exasperating. I've spoken with several of my friends to whom I've passed my copy of Kushiel's Dart along to, and when I mention the length and difficulty of reading the language, there is the common reaction of looking embarrassed, and then saying something like, "Well, yeah, it was hard to read... but everyone says it was so good!" Well, the storyline was definately interesting, and the fact that the author could write an entirely fictional story with governmental intrigue and the like is most impressive. I'm not adverse to books that are of complicated material- I think it adds spice to overused cliches of storylines. However, I was suprised that no one else mentioned in their reviews how hard this book was to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Political intrigue and dark sensuality
Review: The first volume of a trilogy, "Kushiel's Dart" is an epic example of world-building fantasy at its best. Loosely based on European Renaissance culture with an admixture of an unusual religious mythology, Carey's world is one of highly paid courtesans, powerful nobles, and deep intrigue. The heroine, Phaedre, is a courtesan, a spy for her master, and eventually a political player in her own right. The narrative alternates between the intricacies of court politics and rousing action. Carey's characters are complex and well fleshed-out.
What makes "Kushiel's Dart" unique is that Phaedre is a sexual masochist who hires herself out to clients with very special and perverse tastes. In the hands of a lesser author, the sex scenes might be merely prurient. In Carey's, however, they are neither overdone nor gratuitous; rather, they are an integral part of the plot. Phaedre is who she is--a women for whom sexual pleasure involves physical torture-- because she has been marked by a god. Within the world of the story, that is neither good nor bad (although it does cause complications in her love life)--it just is. Phaedre's unusual nature puts her in a prime a position to observe the political intrigue going on around her."Kushiel's Dart" is an engrossing book and much better than most of today's fantasy series. Its thickly-textured and complex narrative provides a great way to while away the day. And yeah, the second volume is just as good.
Rating: 
Summary: Simply Brilliant! Hooray for Ms. Carey! :-)
Review: I am a lover of fantasy and an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction alike. About this book, all I can say is: Oh
My
Goodness! The other reviews will give you a sense of the book. I would agree that the first 100 or so pages in this book was a wee bit tedious to get through, but Ms. Carey is laying the foundation for an amazing trilogy, so the reading time is WELL worth it. Ms. Carey's inner world must be phenomenal to give birth to such a story. And I can only begin to imagine the joys and difficulties that writing such a trilogy would offer the writer. So - on behalf of fantasy lovers everywhere - thank you, Ms. Carey for bringing forth this trilogy
Rating:
Summary: Addicting
Review: I read a lot of fantasy and romance novels and Kushiel's Dart is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The world she creates is very detailed and unique and i found myself unable to put the book down.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best!
Review: Lovely book, richly written. I highly recommend Kushiel's Dart and the rest of the series. (Kushiel's Chosen and Kushiel's Avatar)
Rating:
Summary: Kushiel's Dart
Review: Jacqueline Carey's debut into fiction with Kushiel's Dart puts her on top in fantasy writing. Carey's characters are unique, inventive, and very believable. The world in which her novel takes place, an old world- fictional- Europe, has an engaging culture and an amazing religion that is based on Judeo-Christian traditions and Carey's own creative mind. An absolutely original heroine completes the fabric of wonderful tale. This is one of my favorite books, and defiantly worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Epic, hard to put down
Review: My boyfriend brought this book home, and I groaned when I saw the cover. I was quick to dismiss this as a silly romance novel. However, out of mild curiosity, I picked the book up, and quickly found myself sucked into it. My assumption was completely wrong.
Carey writes wonderfully, spinning a tale of intrigue, politics, and betrayal. Her characters are also extremely well-developed. The book is fast paced, and truly a pleasure to read.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book with exquisite detail
Review: Up front let me say the first 100 or so pages are a tough read. Lots of history and unusual names to learn. BUT, after that... WOW! This is a fantastic book, that is very difficult to put down. The tale told in this book is enough in itself, I could have been happy with just the one book. But to know that I have two more to look forward too... I'm very excited. Once you start reading this book, don't let anything put you off. It may be a little disturbing to some early on, but once Phedre leaves her homeland for the first time the whole story changes and into a much higher gear. Can I give it more than 5 stars? To Mrs. Carey - thankyou for this wonderful book, I look forward to purchasing more from you in the future.
Rating:
Summary: the choice has been cast...
Review: Have you ever finished a book and it left you with a certain sense of feeling. Some feeling that kind of crawls across your spine and you can't shake it for days? Well, Kushiel's Dart is one such rarity. I find myself reviering the words, the emotion of the paragrahps and the book falls in line with, 'if only it could have been, ahhhh.' It is so beautifully written, stylish and elegant. I'm not even going to bother tell you what happens, you'll have to read it for yourself--you'll enjoy that much more. I do have to say that for those who have little patience with a story with its own mythology, and its huge cast, you may not want to read it. However, I assure you, you won't regret it. Yes, it does take some getting used to and the names do get confusing, but Carey lists all the people involved and in no time, you'll get the gist of it. It's not hugely important to have every name commited to memory; but it does makes the book ( in general) sharper and contains more meaning for the reader. You can decide how much you want to invest in it, but I recommend that once you begin, don't stop. Put the time and effort and you'll be deliciously rewarded. Another Note: This book is not blatant erotica or s/m bondage. Rice's Sleeping Beauty series is much more graphic; compared to Rice,Carey's is very tame. FYI, it's supposed to be tamer. You won't be offended by it and Carey doesn't have too much and it's not excessive--just enough to keep it spicey. Remember: it's only part of the mythology and the story plot, it plays a vital role within the Charactor of Phaedra in the book, just accept it. Keep in mind that it's about mythology, religion and the creation of an age similiar to what Tolkien did with his Lord of the Rings series. It's about courage, finding acceptance, never giving up and espeically, above all else, about love. This is a true love story but not in the physical sense, never forget that. Carey's got the gift of a mature author, considering this is her first fiction novel. This women knows her history and mythology. If anything, you'll at least apprecaite the breadth of knowledge she has and how intelligently she has woven all this together. The story line is immense and abitious, the cast of characters that'll make your head spin and story/plot that grabs at you from the first sentence. You fall in love with the characters and love them as much as she had fun writing them. It's rich, full-bodied and very volumptuous. There are plenty of twists and turns that keeps you occupied. I get easily bored, I didn't with Carey.
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