Rating: 
Summary: A wordy sequel to 'Dart'
Review: Kushiel's Dart was groundbreaking for me (as I'm sure it was for others). Here's the heroine, Phaedre, who's not like anyone else I've ever read about. She's one of the Night's Court (holy prostitutes), in love with the villain (and a monk as well), and is out to save an icy Queen from those that plot to overthrow her. How? On the flimsy premise of letting men talk out their secrets in bed. Phaedre is a courtesan and spy rolled into one, and twice as intelligent as anyone else in the kingdom. It's weird and innovatively sensual and somehow Jacqueline Carey manages to turn it into a killer idea and an amazing book.But unfortunately the plot line for 'Chosen' is pretty much a repeat of the first book with just a few minor twists. In 'Dart', Phaedre had given up the Night Court and all it's intrigues as well, and as soon as 'Chosen' starts, we see her longing to go back -- Joscelin's love is not enough anymore, it would seem. There is that and the allure of Melisande, after all, who has reared her head again (as we all knew she would). But what was seductive previously is now described in an almost bored fashion by the author. Her 'job' is described with increasing detail, and instead of enamoring me to Phaedre, I found it made me like her less, and left me with distaste for her. Joscelin is used and abused by Phaedre's choices that she makes, which inspire him to cleave away from her, and I felt cheated by the resoloution of his storyline. He was my favorite character, and I felt he deserved more, though I didn't see any other way out for him (or Phaedre). Jacqueline Carey is completely amazed at how wonderful and novel her character Phaedre is, and wants you as the reader to believe it too. After 'Kushiel's Dart', I believed! I was a believer! Yet somehow, it doesn't work in 'Chosen'. It just doesn't have that spark that 'Dart' did. I found myself putting it down frequently and found it hard to pick up again. Took several weeks to read. Here's hoping the sequel has more fire -- this series deserves better. I'll still be picking it up, but I'll have lower expectations, sad to say.
Rating: 
Summary: Stilted, flat writing shows the first was a fluke
Review: If there had not been such bombastic praise for Kushiel's Dart I would have enjoyed it more. I didn't have as much of a problem with the kinky sex as many seem to, though I thought it was a little like watching the author gratify herself and a bit emploitative at the same time. My problem was that the writing in this series is overpraised. If Ms. Carey didn't take her message so seriously, and realized that the story superedes all the cutesy philology with inconsistent accents, it would have been a better book. Still, I see why it was popular. It was dirty. All the high minded praise in the world can't cover for that real reason. Now comes Kushiel's Chosen, and it is much more obviously flat, more shrill, less exciting, and even more pompously written. But the lightning won't strike twice. When you rely on cheap gimmicks, rather than real skill, to hook the audience, it is hard to make it happen more than once. Joscelin has to be one of the stupidest and least convincing characters of all time. In short, if this book or its predecessor gives you the vapors, then there is a whole genre of erotica out there that more unabashedly will accomplish the same result. But let's not pretend this is high literature, shall we? It's certainly not.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent read
Review: Kushiel's Chosen starts off literally as the next chapter to Kushiel's Dart. This novel was a bit mixed for me after reading Kushiel's Dart. There were many similarities in the situations that were happening in both the books. Some of the situations that the heroine goes through in this book reminded me greatly of the previous book. Though it was still enthralling through all of it. While Jacqueline Carey perhaps over did the foreshadowing a bit there were still the usual plot twists that immediately grab you. This book was not nearly as focused on the erotic aspects concentrating instead on the intrigue and action of the world. Over all I would have to say that Kushiel's Chosen falls slightly short of its predecessor Kushiel's Dart. Though if you have read Dart you will definitely want to pick this one up as well. As I am eagerly awaiting the third book in this series Kushiel's Avatar.
Rating: 
Summary: Enthralling and engrossing
Review: This is a compelling novel. The land of Terre d'Ange is one to which I'd gladly move, and I am grateful to Jacqueline Carey for opening the door to it. As in Kushiel's dart, the novel is a superb mix of comparative religion and history, erotica, and just good writing.
Rating:
Summary: Blessed Elua, she is safe!
Review: Phedre continues her adventure in her search of her nemesis, which she will find in the last place she will look. (as the oracle predicts for her)
Though with somewhat less events than the first novel, Kushiel's Chosen beautifully continues Phedre's story in the race against time to save her Queen.
Rating:
Summary: Eh...
Review: Jacqueline Carey returns to the lush and decadent world of Terre d'Ange in "Kushiel's Chosen", sequel to the strange but beautiful "Kushiel's Dart", and produces a sequel that unfortunately doesn't quite live up to its predecessor. Our masochistic heroine, Phedre, leaves behind her comfortable new life as a country countess when she begins to suspect that all is not well in Terre d'Ange. She believes that Melisande Shahrizai, from her hiding place in La Serenessima (Venice), still plots against Queen Ysandre--with the help of at least one D'Angeline noble. But who is her co-conspirator, and what are they planning? Phedre returns to prostitution in the hopes of finding clues, but doesn't accomplish much except driving away her bodyguard-lover Joscelin. Phedre decides there is only one thing to do--travel to La Serenissima and investigate there. In Italy, Phedre uncovers the conspiracy--but disaster strikes and she finds herself lost at sea and entangled with pirates. Now, Phedre's task is to get back to La Serenissima in time to save Ysandre. Along the way, she begins to realize that maybe being marked by the angel of punishment means more than having weird sexual proclivities. While "Chosen" is a decent book, it fails to engage the reader in the way that "Dart" did. I think my essential problem lies with the middle section of the book--the pirate part. Maybe it's because Phedre's skills are espionage and seduction, not sailing and fighting, so she doesn't do much during this period of time except sit around and feel guilty whenever someone dies. Maybe it's because this sequence doesn't seem to advance the main plot any (except maybe that Phedre's absence makes Joscelin think about his feelings). It almost feels like Carey wrote the beginning and ending of the book, then said, "Oh no...I unraveled the conspiracy too quickly and now I need 300 more pages." This isn't a bad book; it's a faster read than "Dart", though it never attains the heartbreaking power or the sensuality of the previous novel. I still plan to read the third.
Rating: 
Summary: Overblown with purple prose
Review: Perhaps it is the sickly hedonism of these books that make people look past the college-student level writing and proclaim it as "dazzling." I don't see it, personally. The crashingly bad language juxtapositions give me headaches ["love as thou wilt" in contrast with the "Phedre's boys" chant.] It is treacly and cutesy, the prose fraught with purple yuck. If you want perverse sex [which personally doesn't bother me] disguised as art [this part DOES bother me], then by all means read these books. I am hoping that this is just a passing phase in fantasy, one that will be over and done with quickly.
Rating:
Summary: Wowwwwwwww!!!!!!
Review: I'm not going to get into the plot here. Several people have already gone that route. I would simply like to disagree with the many reviewers that claim this book to be somewhat less than the first book. I loved Kushiel's Chosen MUCH more than Dart. There were certainly better scenes in the first book, that I agree with. As a whole, however, Chosen is more exciting. I had read 50 pages of Kushiel's Dart and I couldn't decide if I liked it. I wanted to keep reading because the writing was excellent. Whereas many writers speak to me, Carey's writing sang to me. It was beautiful. But the story was dragging for me. Just a little mind you. It kicked in when Joscelin entered the picture. It REALLY kicked when the Skaldi entered the picture. So, as a whole, from page one to page the last, Kushiel's Chosen was the better book. We're all entitled to our own opinions, of course. Just,PLEASE!, don't let other reviewers keep you away from this book. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: I loved this book. Jacqueline Carey is a great writer.
Rating:
Summary: Check it ouf from the library instead.
Review: To be honest, this book could have been a lot better. As its predecessor could have been as well. There were times where I thought to myself: "Did an editor really let that slip? Did that grammatical error really mean to be there?" Answering yes or no doesn't take away the lack of fluid writing one should expect of this genre. Thus, this book is sadly disappointing because it makes the story less than what it could be. It could've been brilliantly engrossing. Let me reassure you-- the plot basis is actually quite good. Yet, I felt at times that I was reading some paperback romance instead of fantasy. It was not as original as I had hoped, with a very predictable set of scenarios. I wouldn't buy it. Get it from the library if you enjoy the idea of an anguisette. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
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