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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
DNF - I like the idea of this book, but it didn't resonate with me.
This was a really good book. Phedre's journey continues..
Re-read 2023
I stand by everything I said before. Love this book can't wait to finish the trilogy.
2012 Review
4.5/5 on a real scale. I can't give this book 5 stars it took me forever to read because of how wordy the book was. It's a long book so of course it has the moments where the story drags and feels never ending. It seemed for every one of those parts though there was something else amazing happening a few pages later.
It does take a while to get into the book though. The opening is boring and there is so much information thrown at you that you are overwhelmed. As you keep reading though the pieces and mass of details start to fall into place. Along with just having a purpose instead of just being thrown at you.
I think if you like high fantasy and political intrigue you will love this book.
I really can't wait to read the rest of this series.
I stand by everything I said before. Love this book can't wait to finish the trilogy.
2012 Review
4.5/5 on a real scale. I can't give this book 5 stars it took me forever to read because of how wordy the book was. It's a long book so of course it has the moments where the story drags and feels never ending. It seemed for every one of those parts though there was something else amazing happening a few pages later.
It does take a while to get into the book though. The opening is boring and there is so much information thrown at you that you are overwhelmed. As you keep reading though the pieces and mass of details start to fall into place. Along with just having a purpose instead of just being thrown at you.
I think if you like high fantasy and political intrigue you will love this book.
I really can't wait to read the rest of this series.
I finished this book a few days ago and am still thinking about how to review it, especially considering that I was about 15 minutes from dropping it when it really picked up (for me at least).
I was drawn into this book by the writing (which I didn’t find too flowery) and the world-building (which I didn’t find too confusing). The main character, I thought, was very well-written and I enjoyed her perspective.
Things that made this book difficult to stomach for me included children being raised as future consorts based on their personality traits (including sadism and masochism), intimate relationships between adults and minors (that I don’t think were portrayed critically enough), and racial/ethnic group (in this alternate historical Europe) representation that toed the line between inclusive and stereotypical.
Then why did I keep reading the book? Mostly, it’s compelling. For the first several hundred pages, I just couldn’t look away, much like reading Flowers in the Attic. There was a certain point for me, when Phèdre and Joscelin are sent to Skaldia , where the book really picked up.
I think that this book is in many ways criticizing and satirizing the sexual politics in many of its contemporaries, and as our narrator matured this became more apparent. Although at times disturbing and frustrating, I was glad I finished this book. I think I’ll read the next one as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, War
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The politics in this are so intricately woven and the character work is truly masterful. The prose is also gorgeous and lush.
I hate this so much but somehow stuck through to the end (I think because I'd heard so many people liked it and I was waiting for it to get good).
I listened to the audiobook and absolutely DESPISED the narrator, and I wonder if my feelings about this book were because of her. I will never know. I'm not really sure how I stuck through reading this book because I hated the narrator SO MUCH.
I listened to the audiobook and absolutely DESPISED the narrator, and I wonder if my feelings about this book were because of her. I will never know. I'm not really sure how I stuck through reading this book because I hated the narrator SO MUCH.
When I picked this book up I had no idea what to expect. When I finally finished reading it I knew I had just read something very special. I had never read anything like it before, and I still can't believe that it is a debut novel. Jacqueline Carey is a very gifted writer, and reading Kushiel's Dart turned her into an instant favourite author for me.
I read this years ago when it first came out, but just reread it after finding the ebook version on sale. Still a great blend of adventure, sex and political intrigue!
It's sex-positive. There is never any judgment or shame involved in the various characters' sex acts, regardless of their gender preference or kink level (or lack thereof). Female characters are allowed to show desire and sexual appetite.
It's age-positive. The characters are a range of ages, and older women are actually shown to exist.
I wish it were more body-positive. Most characters are the gorgeous descendants of fallen angels, so the narrator mentions over (and over and over and over) how good-looking everyone is. It would have been nice to have some characters who were pudgy or freckled or pimply, and to show them enjoying sex like the pretty people.
I wish it were more queer-positive. The one part that struck me as a wrong note struck me the same way on the re-read: the fact that Phedre was so shocked and surprised that her mentor Delaunay was in love with Prince Rolande. Why should that be a surprise, given Elua's precept of "love as thou wilt"? While there are some same-sex pairings between the courtesans and their patrons, there aren't any examples of healthy, long-term queer relationships. Elua's precept actually seems to be "Love as thou wilt... as long as thou eventually settle down with a spouse of the opposite sex and pop out some heirs to continue those angelic bloodlines."
I wish it were less Caucasian-centric. Phedre's travels are through this world's version of France, Russia, and England, so I guess it's not surprising that she only meets white people. She ranges somewhat farther in the next few books, but I can't remember how many non-white characters she meets.
It's sex-positive. There is never any judgment or shame involved in the various characters' sex acts, regardless of their gender preference or kink level (or lack thereof). Female characters are allowed to show desire and sexual appetite.
It's age-positive. The characters are a range of ages, and older women are actually shown to exist.
I wish it were more body-positive. Most characters are the gorgeous descendants of fallen angels, so the narrator mentions over (and over and over and over) how good-looking everyone is. It would have been nice to have some characters who were pudgy or freckled or pimply, and to show them enjoying sex like the pretty people.
I wish it were more queer-positive. The one part that struck me as a wrong note struck me the same way on the re-read: the fact that Phedre was so shocked and surprised that her mentor Delaunay was in love with Prince Rolande. Why should that be a surprise, given Elua's precept of "love as thou wilt"? While there are some same-sex pairings between the courtesans and their patrons, there aren't any examples of healthy, long-term queer relationships. Elua's precept actually seems to be "Love as thou wilt... as long as thou eventually settle down with a spouse of the opposite sex and pop out some heirs to continue those angelic bloodlines."
I wish it were less Caucasian-centric. Phedre's travels are through this world's version of France, Russia, and England, so I guess it's not surprising that she only meets white people. She ranges somewhat farther in the next few books, but I can't remember how many non-white characters she meets.