Reviews

Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Carey

rizbiz's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

3.75

A bit slow of an end to this great trilogy. Felt like it could have been either two books or some of the travel could have been parsed down some. 

alexreadsboooks's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse

nickyfox13's review against another edition

3.0

3.75 stars. I had a great time reading this trilogy and found the lush worldbuilding engrossed me, and I found Phedre as well as the other cast of characters engaging. However, like many series, I felt like the ending was rushed and I found the attempt at torturing Phedre difficult to read, which is why the story got bumped down so low in the ratings. Plus it didn't help that Carey tried to write in what I can only call an accent to attempt to sound historical. Overall enjoyable with noticable flaws I couldn't ignore.

lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A really nice completion of Phedre's story! Weaves between boring and intense, sad and hopeful. It resolves many storylines and plot threads. Such an interesting world, as an interpretation of our own. 
I had a really hard time staying engaged in the first half, but I was drawn in by the second half.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Murder, Animal cruelty, Blood, Sexual violence, Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Medical content, Addiction, Drug use, Genocide, Pedophilia, Animal death, Colonisation, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Religious bigotry

coleycole's review against another edition

4.0

I have to say that, though I'm mildly ashamed of it, I loved this series. Graphic sex? Over-wrought plot? Flowery prose? I don't care, there's something totally compelling about the world, the religions, the stories, the characters... I can't put my finger on it any more than to say that it's totally 700 plus pages of crack. I can only hope that Carey's follow up series is the same...

emclarke's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I loved the rest of the trilogy, but think it tails off in this final book. I miss the political intrigue of the first two!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

goblinbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

-0.25 ⭐️ due to the word 'netherlips'
-1 ⭐️ for

a literal strap-on spiked cock sleeve

jewels_c_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

tifftastic87's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 Picking up ten years after the events in Kushiel’s Chosen, Phèdre nó Delaunay has been summoned by someone from her past. She is requested to complete a task, to find a missing boy, a boy that the Queen desperately wants to find as well. Phèdre hesitates until the person offers her a reward that would free a friend of hers who has been trapped for many years. 

My least favorite in the series, but still a solid story. Phèdre journeys from fantasy France to fantasy Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and as far south as Uganda to complete her journey. Carey’s winding of myths and religions with fantasy just give my brain so many happy chemicals. However, there is a dark spot in here that was definitely something that pushed the limits of what Phèdre has put herself through in the past books. The part that brought it down for me was the pacing. I am standing by this needing to be two books as the ending felt rushed through the action and dragged through the wrap up. 

hippievamp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Blood, Rape, Confinement, Child abuse, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Torture, Grief, Animal cruelty, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gore, Alcohol, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Genocide, Medical content, and War