Friday, July 22

Book Review: Kushiel's Dart

Author:  Jacqueline Carey
Title: Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel Legacy #1 )
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Pages: 701
First Published:  2001
Where I Got It: Library


"The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good....and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule:Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission....and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair....and beyond.

Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear. Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart, a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new."



A WARNING:
THERE ARE A LOT OF LITTLE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW! Don't worry I high-lightened the big spoilers that would endanger giving major events away.


Let's just point out the obvious first.....IT WAS A LARGE BOOK. I'm use to reading large books, but this one seemed like it would never end. Especially the last couple of chapters, but at the end of every chapter it seemed like it was done, but it kept going. Going and going. I thought I was stuck in this world and couldn't get out. It took me forever to read and finish. I'll admit it....I did skim part of the book. Okay, now that I got that off my chest I'll continue with my review. 


Alright...I really like the world that Jacqueline Carey created. It's based off of Europe. I love how she did try to help you enter the world and understand who was who and why countries were they way they were. She even touched base of all the religions and how the blended into the makings of each country. I loved when an author creates an entire world out of their own imagination and tries to make you understand. Just like JRR Tolkein did. HOWEVER don't get excited, this book is nothing like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Absolutely not. No. Not at all. 


This book is about intrigue, political upheaval, spies, and sex. The main character was pretty much tossed to the side by her parents to a prostitution house who raised her up (it's much more complex) and then when she becomes of age they sell her to Anafiel Delaunay who would raise her and this kid Alcuin to be spies/spies who uses sex to get information from patrons. 


At first I was really into the book, but then it started to get a little odd...because Phedre (the main character) has a speck of red in her eye so that makes her the chosen to love being tortured and beat up in the bedchamber. I mean they that pretty clear, but it started getting odd because for a million pages they went into a lot of detail of her and patrons. And even after she was done being in the service of Anafiel ~BIG SPOILER~ because someone killed him and Alcuin~END OF BIG SPOILER~ There was also a lot of sex flying around. I don't know, but half the time the sex scenes had really nothing to do with the plot. Plus, like I've previously stated, I don't like my books to be 80% sex related scenes. Especially when it's torture based sex. This was the biggest issue I had with this book. The size was number 1 though.


Other than that, I did enjoy the book. It was different. It was a breath of fresh air. A change in my reading list. I mean I do enjoy Science Fiction novels, but this was an odd one for to pick up.  I loved the intrigue and the whole new world that was presented for me to enter and analyze. I loved the idea behind this book. I will try and read the second book in this series, because I actually bought it before I had known it was a series (*sighs). Perhaps I'll enjoy the second book better.


All-in-all, I thought this book was okay. It wasn't amazing like I had hoped it would be. It does have some redeeming qualities to it. I'll be honest and I don't recommend this book unless you love Science Fiction and BDSM. Well, out of five stars I grant this one 2 stars. In all reality it was a 1.6, but I rounded up. I'm sorry Jacqueline Carey. =( 




Favorite Character(s):  Hyacinthe
Not-so-Favorite Character(s): Melisande 

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<3CaroleRae


3 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

I think the sex is why I have not read the book. Sure sex can be in a book, but just not there for the sake of sex. And the whole sex and torture bit

Carole Rae said...

I completely agree. Plus 90% of the sex scenes had no real part in the plot.

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