Kushiel's Dart

Rating:
Summary: At a loss for perfect enough words
Review: I am desperately in love with this book. It is intoxicating, intriguing, and intricate. The plot involves sometimes very confusing political and social twists and turns. It is certainly not an easy read, nor one that you can put away or return to the library as soon as you're finished. Kushiel's Dart requires going back and rereading sections for the simple reason that the characters cling to you. Phedre and her companions might very well be the most wonderful and flawed I've ever experienced. The book constantly wrenches a new set of emotions from the reader. It is long, yes, but certainly not tedious. It is extremely confusing, but keep going and you'll figure it out. And, though some may rail against the sensuality, Kushiel's Dart is a novel of faith and love.

Rating:
Summary: Kushiel's Dart more than pricks the reader
Review: Carey did an excellent job in Kushiel's Dart. The reader really comes to see the world from Phedre's perspective. I am an avid reader and just pour through this genre; however, the world of Terre d'Ange is simply captivating, while the characterizations are nothing short of marvelous. I find it wonderful that a strong female character has been used in this book, in that this book really breaks the barriers of sexuallity for women. Kusiel's Dart never once makes the fact that Phedre is a courtesean a debasing fact, rather a liberating reality. Indeed, it seems that I felt every emotion and sensation that Phedre felt from arousal to cold to hunger and to, most importantly, pain. One must be advised that this book is not for the faint of heat, while many would term Kushiel's Dart in many instances sexually explict. The book also has many instances of graphic violence of a carnal nature as well as more generalized war-type violence and on occaison, torture. The brave will definitely want to read this book, though for the plethora of sensations and feelings that it allows the reader to vicariously partake.

Rating:
Summary: Lush and intriguing
Review: This is a first-time novel by Jacqueline Carey, and honestly---it's books like this that restore my faith in the publishing industry. =P I have read novels by long-time writers which were nowhere near as richly detailed, powerfully written, or just plain interesting. Now I know that publishers aren't just looking for the next Robert Jordan or Mercedes Lackey. They *do* actually care about quality.

Anyway, enough babbling. The story is set in a kind of alternate Europe, primarily in a pseudo-France called Terre d'Ange. In this world, Judeo-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. At that point, Mary Magdalene wept at the cross's feet, and her tears mingled with the blood 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 eventually found the land of Terre d'Ange, where the people welcomed him, and he and his angels settled down there.

In the present time of the novel, 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" tradition has perpetuated itself into the Court of Night-Blooming Flowers---thirteen whorehouse-temples whose male and female 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 delicate beauties 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 delicate-fainter 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, Kushiel, who administered punishments to sinners in Purgatory. It also marks Phedre as an "anguissette"---a masochist.

Phedre is sold to a man deeply involved in the politics of Terre d'Ange. He understands her potential immediately, so he tutors her in languages, histories, all sorts of things, while she grows up and eagerly 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 shocking 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 need, 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 before they ever lose their virginity; they even have a textbook. And Phedre knows every technique in it. Phedre's assignations are sometimes described in tactful but powerful detail---not crude or pornographic, 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 are more than enough good scenes to make up for the not-so-good. Including several homosexual encounters, as a warning to those with more limited tastes. 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.)

The only 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: One of the Best Fantasy Novels I've Read in a Long Time
Review: I am constantly reading, but it has been a while since I have truly gotten in to a book. I picked up Kushiel's Dart in a book store one day before going in to work. I read the first few lines and knew that I had to have it. I went without dinner that night because I had to use my dinner money to pay for the book. I don't regret it in the least.
Although the lenghthy list of characters and houses in the first few pages seems incredibly daunting, especially to one who occasionally has trouble keeping track of relations, you are gradually able to connect everyone and their positions as the story unfolds to Phedre. It was an exellently written and and conceived story idea. I absolutely loved the intricacies of the plot line and the use of the melding of different religions and mythologies to create one society. I enjoyed this book more than any other I've read in a long time. I can't wait to see how it all ends.

Rating:
Summary: Gasp, this was way good!
Review: If you have the patience to get through the first 100 pages of the book that lays out who is what, where they came from and what they represent then you are in for a sinful treat.

This is courtly intrigue on a whole new level. Phedre is a unique character who at times you can only gasp at and with. So many emotions and characteristics of human nature are brought in to this first of a trilogy.

It will be that book you think is just to thick to bother with, then you start it and you secretly can't wait for the next.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent fantasy
Review: I didn't realize this was the first in a series (of 3) when I bought it, but I will certainly read all of them. Carey's world is that of Europe, physically, but not any recognizable historical Europe. The main character is basically a glorified high class hooker with a sadomasochistic thirst, who partially graduates to playing political games. While the story is often erotic, it isn't usually graphic. Also, though it is a fantasy novel, there isn't too much fantastical about it. Only one event in the whole novel really stands out as being not possible in our reality. There are sword fights, but no dragons. Prognosticators, but no sorcery. All human characters.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting twist on the epic fantasy
Review: For a first novel, Carey gives us a very, very good epic fantasy that build on the tradition recently set by Martin, Jordan and Goodkind but adds her original (and decidedly kinky) twist.

I have a fondess for writers who not only develop a complicated world populated by well-developed characters but who also pay attention to the minutia of politics and political motivation. Carey, while not in the same league as George R.R. Martin (yet), does a wonderful job of creating the above and tells a highly entertaining story concerning the transition of monarchs in a world clearly based on middle-ages Europe with much of the action taking place in what would be France.

So what makes this so different, you ask. Carey's main character is not only a spy, but a female spy. Not only is she a female spy, but she's also a courtesan in a time when this is an honored profession. Finally, not only is the main character a female spy and courtesan, she also may be the only sexual masochist in the country. Now that's what I call a bit of a twist. There is plenty of explicit sexual material throughout this book. Although all of it is very tastefully written, there is a lot of it and quite a bit of descriptive BD/SM stuff too. If you have problems with this, are a younger reader or the parent of a younger reader, you may wish to take a pass on this one.

So why only 4 stars for this book? Carey does a great job of story telling with little or no magic involved (pretty rare for epic fantasy) for the first 3/4 of the book. Inexplicably (and somewhat ham-handedly), she throws in a couple of events that are wholly magical in nature and the novel dives into a cliche for a bit. For this, it loses a star.

I heartily recommend this book for the mature reader.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book Ever
Review: I was starved for a good book this summer and when I picked up this book the only thing I had liked was the half rose drawing on the front. Then I read the book and I couldn't put it down! It was so great that I would stay up until 4 in the morning to read it! Some may comment on the references to prostitution, but if you look at the character you'll almost forget about it. Phedre seemed so much like a real person, that the fact she was a prostitute hardly mattered. The thing that most caught my attention was the creative way that the author combined christanity and paganism. It was a very new and very thought provoking way to make a new religon. Not only Phedre caught my attention, but numerous others. I was so drawn into the story that in some occasions I almost cried. I am not one to cry at a book and when I come close I KNOW that the book is good. So if you want something new, exciting, and original GET THIS BOOK!...

Rating:
Summary: Erotica, Politica and Swordsplay
Review: It begins in Kushiel's Dart with Phedre, an orphan cast out by her parents because of a peculiar flaw that later became her salvation. Carey's voice is deliberate and seductive as she begins her narration. Ruled by two demi-gods, Naamah, the goddess of sensual love whose creed is love as thou wilt and Kushiel, one of the seven angels of punishment, whose mark, a blood red mote, she bears in her left eye, she is plucked from the erotic Night Court by nobleman Anafiel Delauney at the age of ten. Delauney recognizes her for who she is - an anguissete, born with the ability to transcend pain and transform it into intense pleasure. Under his wing she enters a period of rigorous training in the courtly arts of history, politics and language as well as in the erotic pleasures of the bedroom. Acting as Delauney's pawn in a desperate mission known only to himself, she contracts her body to some of the most malicious noble folk, listening carefully as they spill their darkest secrets in the throes of passion. What she learns casts her into a role of an unlikely yet very intelligent spy who eventually plays part in saving her beloved country's besiegement by a woman she cannot resist, the bewitching Melisande Shahrizai, with whom she shares a carnal bond so intense it threatens to enslave her.

Jacqueline Carey spins an astonishing legacy that is worthy of being compared to some of the greatest political fantasy works with her Kushiel trilogy. Winner of the 2002 Locus Award for Best First Novel, Kushiel's Dart begins the journey of Phedre no Delaunaey in a country that is reminiscent of Renaissance-era Europe. Phedre, with all her vulnerability and cunning, proves to be a likable heroine, sharing rank with powerful women such as Morgan Le Fay from Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, Margaret Mitchell's Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind and Ayla of Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series. She is both selfish and selfless, going to great lengths to save Terre d'Ange from collapse while bringing inspiration as well as pain and grief to those around her as a result of her actions. Throughout the story she struggles with her passions, caught in between her loyalty to those who love her and with the demands of cruel Kushiel. In the end, her biggest trial comes with Joscelin, her Perfect Companion, with whom she finds the true meaning of love, sacrifice and devotion.

With Phedre, she takes us into depths of a very erotic world few of us see but some of us know - that of the mingling of physical pain with sensual pleasure. While some readers may not wish to venture the depths she goes to describe Phedre's sexual trysts, it is done in a way that is both tasteful and mesmerizing almost to the point of engulfing the reader in rapture. Very few writers have been able to capture this quality of erotica in their writing in such a way that avoids lewdness. Carey gives Phedre very human characteristics in a fantastical world that is disturbingly familiar. Terre d'Ange reminds us of a world long past, where sensual pleasure is reveled in as a fine art and prostitution is a respected and coveted profession.

At nearly 700 pages each, Kushiel's Dart and Kushiel's Chosen are certainly worthy of the effort it takes patching together the immense political network Carey has created as well as the many adventures Phedre embarks upon. Romantics will enjoy the pursuit of true love she weaves into the story as well as the shocking betrayals that seem to come from every angle. Sword and sorcerer fans will fall in love with Joscelin, the Cassiel swordsman/priest sworn to protect and serve Phedre at any cost. At the end of each novel Carey is careful to throw around a few loose strands to leave the reader craving for more, which makes Carey's third installment, Kushiel's Avatar, scheduled for an early 2003 publication date, a deliciously anticipated promise.

Jacqueline Carey is a delightful newcomer in the fantasy/science fiction scene and has marked a place for herself up there with Ursula K. LeGuin and Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I was hooked from the first paragraph, which is not an easy thing to do. I'm actually considering buying the second book in hardback, I am so impatient to read the next story.

Phedre is an intelligent, sexy, sensual woman, who finds herself used by her mentor, Anafael to learn more about plots against the throne of her world. After several traumatic events, she must use all her wits to save herself and her bodyguard Josselin from slavery, then from being branded traitors and murderers. How she succeeds and yet fails at the same time is the heart of this wonderful story.

It is epic in its setting, tale, and delivery. I found myself comparing this book favorably to several by my favorite authors. I can confidently say if you're looking for the dark sexiness of Anne Bishop's Jewels series and the epic political plotting of any of Melanie Rawn's works, you'll LOVE this book.