Rating: 
Summary: Could have been a lot better...
Review: Wow-I couldn't put this book down, not for lack of trying. There was a great plot here, but the characters (other than Phedre) lacked consistency. The writing was over dramatic for my tastes. In my opinion, Carey should have taken out more of the meaningless characters and elaborated more on the important ones.
Rating: 
Summary: Uncommonly Good
Review: In _Kushiel's Chosen_ Phedre no Delaunay, Countess of Montreve, courtesan and spy, takes it upon herself to find a traitor in the court of her queen. The mission takes her on a journey of both physical and spiritual dimensions, changes her life and the lives of everyone around her and brings her face to face with her personal nemesis, Melisande.I picked up this book for its intriguing cover, not having read the first volume in the series, _Kushiel's Dart_. At my first glimpse of the map in the front, I was prepared to be disappointed; I've read all too many plodding tomes based on thinly veiled versions of our world, and here was a map of Europe staring me in the face with only the names changed. Well, I'm happy to say that I was wrong! From the first page _Kushiel's Chosen_ caught my attention and held it right through the end. The voice of the main character is strong and true throughout. This is a woman of wide experience who has a good understanding of human nature, but who has not succumbed to cynicism. She knows her strengths and her weaknessed but is neither arrogant nor whining. The characters around her are also complex and realistic and the story, full of intrigue and deception, never descends to trite and easy answers. Though the world is based on our own and has enough references to keep it from being totally unintelligible, it is different enough to make the journey worth it. Ms. Carey has invented a political and religious system with complex and deep implications and she isn't afraid to explore her ideas to their fullest extent. Where others might have shied away, she dives right in. You can read this book, as I did, without having read the first in the series: Most of what you need to know is filled in along the way. But I ordered _Kushiel's Dart_ as soon as I had finished _Kushiel's Chosen_, and I plan on ordering the third book when it's available. So you might want to start from the beginning and go on from there. I don't often read a 700-odd page novel that keeps my attention for each and every word. This one did. Applause to Jacqueline Carey for it!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT book
Review: I loved this book! I will not say more than that, as others have written lengthy enough reviews to give you an idea as to what the storie is about. I will simply say that this was a great read, I was blurry eyed at work for at least three days from staying up and reading half the night (I could not put it down). You will not be dissapointed in this book, it is even better than the first!
Rating:
Summary: A rarity in a sea of mediocrity
Review: When I had first read the books, I had never heard of the author and had no idea what I was getting into. The description of the book intrigued me and so I went ahead on instinct and sped through the nine hundred page Dart. What I had gotten into was a world that both transcended ours, and connected with it. Far from taking history and building upon it, Carey has taken history and reshaped it: anyone can see the similarities, and no matter how hard you look, you can always find another astounding fact holding together her finely woven fiction together in a skeleton of steel.
Chosen continues Phedre's adventures in the richly detailed and elaborate world. The depth of research Carey has put into the setting shows through once again in Chosen where you can trace the etymology of nearly every non-English word to their origins, and the people to their models. Here following Phedre takes the reader on a journey around the alternate Europe; beyond the borders of Terre d'Ange to the Mediterranean and across the high seas.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but predictable.
Review: If you liked Kushiel's Dart, you'll probably enjoy this sequel. The idea no longer seems as fresh, and the sensuality is definately toned down. The book is still worth reading, but it could have been done much better. The plot follows the pattern of the first book. Phedre returns to the life of a courtesan and becomes popular and sought after. She then departs on a secret mission to expose a traitor to the throne, visits faraway lands under stressful circumstances, has adventures including several imprisonments and a sea voyage, and saves the country and her queen. Sound familiar? I had several problems with the story. First, Phedre's return to her former occupation seems pointless. There's only one patron that she learns things from that she couldn't get from common gossip. My favorite character, Jocelin, is constantly disappearing for badly explained reasons. He's supposedly exploring his faith, but it seems like a device to remove him whenever it would be more interesting for Phedre to be in danger. And at the end of the story Jocelin goes through a poorly justified character transformation. The main conflicts seem like rehashed versions of the problems from the first book Phedre and Jocelin try to figure out their relationship. Phedre agonzies over her attraction to Melissande. Phedre feels guilty when people die protecting her. It's all stuff we've read before. There is adventure and danger and suspense, and the story's not bad. It just doesn't feel as satisfying as the first book because I was expecting so much more.
Rating:
Summary: End it soon, please
Review: 'Enjoyed' would not be the word I would use to describe how I felt when reading Kushiel's Dart. It made me uncomfortable, not because of its graphic sex and s/m elements, but because I thought the prose was sickeningly sweet and rich, the marks of a somewhat talented amateur, and I also thought the heroine was grotesquely perfect [jeez! Great in bed and she can SING, too! The J-Lo of fantasy!] But I did like it enough to buy this one. What a mistake. This book shows that an arguably brilliant beginning is difficult to sustain. Ms. Carey told a fine story the first time out, but it is now wearing thin. I don't know if I will bother to read the [hopefully] last of the Kushiel books, but if I do, I am certain it will not be in hardcover.
Rating:
Summary: Definite Mixed Emotions
Review: When I first saw 'Chosen' at the bookstore I absolutely had to have the book. I couldn't wait to continue on with Phedre's adventures, and I was rewarded in that respect. As one who lives in Italy, I felt that Carey's descriptions of Phedre's Venice were perfect. I could just imagine myself up inside a religiously renovated San Marco's Cathedral, and walked with Phedre down the marbled corridors just outside of the Doge's Palace, and toured the Square with her. I'm sure that Phedre would have identified with Cassonova's Bridge of Sighs, had it been there. The prose used to bring forth Carey's visuals was just as sumptuous and sensuous as Phedre's romps in the sack. However, along with many other reviewers, I had the feeling that Carey just got lost somewhere. Did she tire of Venice? Is that why we suddenly had to be plunged in with the Albanians and Greeks? The insertions of these characters, and the absolute length of their portions in the story was a bit ridiculous. Unless, of course, later on in the series they'll help Phedre in her search for freeing Hyacinthe. Then I may be able to buy it. Overall ... a good book. I hesitate over using the word great, for it was not nearly as fabulous as Kushiel's Dart. But then again, sophmore books have the stigma of being flat, so I am eagerly awaiting book three, which will hopefully bring back a little of the magic from book one.
Rating:
Summary: Kushiel's Greatness Continues
Review: Just as emotionally demanding and adventurous as Carey's first epic novel, "Kushiel's Chosen" continues the story of Phedre as she makes the strenuous decision to return to the life of a courtesan in order to uncover a political intrigue that may cost the royal family everything they (and many others) have worked for in establishing peace to Terre D'Ange. The love story between Phedre and Joscelin (Phedre's guard and lover) that underlies this novel is heartwrenching. The author so masterfully wrote the interactions between these characters, where I, as a reader, felt so completely a part of it. I wish the author had addressed Hyacinthe a little more, but I have a feeling that this is what the final novel in the trilogy will be concering. Jacqueline Carey is an original and excellent writer. Her stories are compelling and her characters are realistic (for a fantasy). Carey has a great talent for portraying the world of politics, cultures, and intrigue. I recommend this novel to anyone with an open mind and a love for fantasy!
Rating: 
Summary: pretty good
Review: Well I really enjoyed the first book a lot. I am not usually into books that involve such intricate politics/plots but this one really held my attention. The second book was not quite as facinating but was definately still worthwhile. I'm a sucker for a good love story and Phedre and Joscelin definately provide that in the second book. I think it does wind up being longer than it needs to be mostly because of the detour Phedre takes after leaving Dolorosa. I am looking forward to the third book a great deal.
Rating:
Summary: We asked for more and here it is
Review: This is the second in the Kushiels trilogy and it just jumps right in to the center of more intrigue for Phedre and Joscelin. Creep factor is wonderfully written with Melisande, again, with Phedre the most intelligent, strong and determined female character written in quite some time. This second in the trilogy is another do not miss, eagerly awaiting Kushiel's Avatar in spring 2003.
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