Rating: 
Summary: A fitting end...
Review: Of all of the books in the Kushiel's Dart series, this one is definitely the darkest. Phedre's travels take her into territories unknown to her geographically, as well as into the deepest chasms of her soul. Phedra must face the darkest parts of herself in order to fulfill promises not only to Hyacinth, her most beloved friend, but to the traitorous Millisande. It is a story of loyalty and honor as well as of redemption.What was particularly intriguing about this story was the comparison between Phedre's reluctant acceptance of who and what she is with Imriel's (Millisande's son) ignorance (and later defiance) of his heritage. If Jacqueline Carey chooses to write another Terre D'Ange story, I do hope that it follows Imriel's path and the long road he (no doubt) will have to take in accepting who and what he is. Overall, this story should be pleasing to anyone who has read the previous books in the Kushiel's Dart series. However, there are times where the story seems to drag, as Phedre and her party stop in and greet everyone she has met both in this book and the previous two (tying up loose ends, I suppose). Carey spends some needless time on characters that do not truly deserve it (and often are simply forgettable). And there are times when readers will probably say "Yes, yes... we know Phedre carries this heavy burden so lets just get on with it already!" But the story itself is beautiful in it's own way, though it does not compare to the first two (hence the 4 star rating rather than 5). Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Also works as a good stand-alone novel.
Review: One of the best things I enjoyed about this series was the fact that I did not have to read the previous book as a review before reading the 3rd. Compared to Mr. Jordan, and now, unfortunately Mr. Goodkind, Ms. Carey has allowed me to enjoy a story within a trilogy without tedious explanations or the absolute need to read the previous novels before understanding an iota of what was going on in Phedre's life. So, if you haven't read the other novels in a while, go ahead and pick up Kushiel's Avatar. Granted, you may have to put it down in some spots and regroup before you pick it up again, but it is a wonderful tale that deserves to be read. If you want more backstory, you can re-read the other novels later, at your leisure.
Rating: 
Summary: Purple prose does not make for good writing
Review: Perhaps this book, and the horrible predecessor KUSHIEL'S CHOSEN, would not have been so disappointing if the first one wasn't so unusual. The purple prose and self-aggrandizing style of narration set my teeth on edge, but I read and enjoyed DART because it was different. This book, however, shows that you can drag something out too long when it is built around a single, exploitative gimmick. I pray now that this truly is the end of this series, and that Ms. Carey will extend her talents elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Deeper, more intense than before.
Review: The magic in this book, as in the other two, is subtle but has powerful manifestations. The book starts a little slow, yet is the darkest one of the thrilogy. It also shows the evolution of the characters, and it is easy to notice the ways in which they have grown. I like how all the pieces fit. I was delighted to see how the villains have reasons for their behaviour, and there is not absolute goodness or evilry in the story, which is mostly about a woman struggling to understand the will of her gods, and help a friend in need. Phedre and her companions are a really interesting lot. Very good book, with a good ending.
Rating:
Summary: I held my breath in the middle!
Review: This is probably my favorite in the Kushiel trilogy. Like the other two books it has everything (adventure, romance, humor) with a bit more suspense.
The book continues with the adventures of Phedre and Joscelin (a cross between a bodyguard and boyfriend I guess) with a ten year gap between the previous book and this one. The exiled woman who betrayed them both is back, sending word to Phedre to help her find her missing son. Believing that the boy has been used as a pawn in a highly political game, Phedre goes in search of him only to find that his kidnapping is part of something much more simple, yet far more sinister.
So she goes after him, deliberately travelling to a far away, hell on earth place that she knows she may very well never escape from. Just when you think "shes dead for sure this time", Phedre escapes and gets what she wants (because she always does). Still, wondering how she will do it makes for great reading. Some of her experiences in this place are truely awful and graphic, so that might be a put off if that bothers you.
You definitely could start with this book and not be too confused, although I recommend that you at least read the second book before this one because it is important to understand the political circles Phedre runs in, and why exactly she risks her life for the son of a woman she despises.
I love this trilogy, mostly because it has an amazing female heroine. Plus I love the ending of each book, which always revolves around a huge "homecoming" party, where things are said that wrap up each book nicely.
Rating:
Summary: The best in the legacy
Review: This legacy gets it's grand finale in this book. I highly recommend reading the first two before jumping into this one because you'll undoubtedly be confused if you don't. Nevertheless, Kushiel's Avatar is the avatar of the legacy itself. With a plot so simple yet intricate, with more characters, and more of Joscelin breaking his vows, lol, this last and, in my humble opinion, greatest of the legacy will keep you on the edge your seat and will definitely have you yearning for the future release of the Imri series, Kushiel's Scion. Don't try to figure out the plot to this book before hand, you'll only damage many brain cells. An astonishing fantasy that Carey did an excellent job of engendering to life, this is one book (and Trilogy) you'll never forget. You won't want to put it down. It contains a variety of genre's including those regarding war tactics, romance, seduction, religion, pirating, dark fantasy, betrayal, and most importantly, love.
Rating:
Summary: Simply wonderful!
Review: This novel gets a little dark, so I would caution those not interested in reading about the scarier side of violent sexuality to stay away from it. This may be why some readers didn't enjoy it as much, but for those able to handle such, it is simply amazing. The way that every aspect meshes together is fitting with the idea of divine guidance behind Carey's world and the wrap up is just perfect. I look forward to the forthcoming trilogy on Imriel very much. Again, Melisande's presence is just impressive, as are the other characters. While the ideas behind this volume are a little less historical and more fantastical, I couldn't put it down just like the other two in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet
Review: This, more than Kushiel's Dart or Kushiel's Chosen, is not a story for the faint of heart. After exquisitely detailed political maneuvering in the first two books, Carey sends Phedre on a quest in her final story. A quest that takes Phedre to the limits of her endurance, nearly breaking her, and her Perfect Companion and Consort, Joscelin.
The introduction of Imriel, daughter of Phedre's nemesis Melisande, is deft and unexpected. Carey has a knack for surprising plot turns, and Imriel was one of the most pleasant surprises of the series. (The wait for Imriel's story, due in 2006, is also likely to kill Carey's diehard fans.)
I've heard complaints that this story was too dark, or too different from the first two novels of this astonishing trilogy. It's true: the quest is more spiritual than political; the conflicts more internal. The story does not suffer from it, and a third round of Phedre saving the throne of her country would stretch believability. This is a very introspective book, and Phedre does grow, and mature.
There are fight scenes, as excellently written as ever, but politics takes a backseat as Phedre struggles to save Imriel and herself from the clutches of a cult darker than any I have encountered in fiction. And she travels to the ends of the earth to save her friend Hyacinthe from his lonely exile, and doomed existence as the Master of Straits. Beautifully interwoven with ancient Jewish history and Kabbalah, Carey is the master of her craft, and the decreased focus on politics does not diminish this story. It is a quest story in the best sense of the word, and the ending is bittersweet, and wrenching, despite the fact that Phedre wins the day in the end. Highly, highly recommended. There are few authors that could create such a well-built world; fewer that could so deftly twist the strands of a plot.
Anxiously awaiting more of Imriel's story; in the meantime, Banewreaker and Godslayer are on the way.
Rating:
Summary: Triple Crown Winner
Review: What more can be said? A superb fantasy trilogy has a magnificent conclusion in Kushiel's Avatar. This one is even more exotic, erotic, and intense than the first two volumes, and Carey does an excellent job in bringing this huge undertaking of a story to a satisfying conclusion. Believe all the hype; these novels and their characters will linger in the mind and the heart for a long time after you have finished with them. They deserve to be considered classics.
Rating:
Summary: good thoughts, good words, good deeds
Review: When I first discovered the Kushiel's Legacy trilogy, I did not expect anything more than a mix of fantasy and romance, spiced with kinky sex. I made the same mistake as all those characters who underestimated Jacqueline Carey's heroine, Phedre, missing the keen mind working behind the guise of a beautiful courtesan. What's more, both author and protagonist have aged gracefully. Ten years after the events of the last novel, Phedre seems less a weapon of her country and more her own woman. She thus has much more to lose when she sets out on a personal quest to rescue a childhood friend. Her journey takes her to distant lands in Carey's reimagination of our world: from a deathly harem beyond the Tigris and Euphrates, south past the realm of a menacing pharaoh and across the desert, to a land where a lost tribe of Yisra-El hides the Name of God. The pilgrimage seems certain to cost Phedre her friendships, her lover, and her life. In a sense, these losses are what make this character and this trilogy so remarkable. She owes all her accomplishments not to skill with a sword or supernatural power but to her capacity for love and self-sacrifice (and a fair amount of wit, to be sure). To the author's credit, this theme never came across as hokey. On the contrary, I had a harder time putting this novel down than its predecessors. Suffice to say that I'm looking forward to Carey's next work, though by now she has earned high expectations!
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