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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I was looking for an escapist book due to this weird world we all live in now, and fantasy novels are often really good for that. This one definitely did the trick!
First: this book has a lot of sex in it, and S&M-style sex, specifically, because the main character is a courtesan trained in those "arts", which in this book are literally god-given. The whole religious system in this book is based on sex as a form of worship, which did allow the author to sidestep some, uh, moral issues, basically. I haven't ever read a book that focused on sex so much. I don't know what to say, really; this book can't be divorced from its explicit content, and either you accept that and can enjoy what else the book has to offer, or you can't and won't enjoy it. It's integral to the plot. I won't say this didn't make me uncomfortable at times, though.
The first, oh, 1/3 of this book is quite slow, with a ton of names and characters and the upbringing/training of the main character, but it turns into an adventure story, spanning continents, with lots of political intrigue. The main villain is one of the best I've ever come across. The writing is over the top, but, again, it worked for me and what I wanted: a long, sweeping, over-the-top adventure story. I'll be finishing the trilogy here eventually.
First: this book has a lot of sex in it, and S&M-style sex, specifically, because the main character is a courtesan trained in those "arts", which in this book are literally god-given. The whole religious system in this book is based on sex as a form of worship, which did allow the author to sidestep some, uh, moral issues, basically. I haven't ever read a book that focused on sex so much. I don't know what to say, really; this book can't be divorced from its explicit content, and either you accept that and can enjoy what else the book has to offer, or you can't and won't enjoy it. It's integral to the plot. I won't say this didn't make me uncomfortable at times, though.
The first, oh, 1/3 of this book is quite slow, with a ton of names and characters and the upbringing/training of the main character, but it turns into an adventure story, spanning continents, with lots of political intrigue. The main villain is one of the best I've ever come across. The writing is over the top, but, again, it worked for me and what I wanted: a long, sweeping, over-the-top adventure story. I'll be finishing the trilogy here eventually.
4.5 stars for literary fiction nerds. 3.5 stars for everyone else.
The Mists of Avalon meets Memoirs of a Geisha in this unusual alternative history novel. The story goes on forever (over 1000 pages), and would have been more enjoyable had it been broken up into 4 books with more attention spent on the character in the moment, rather than focuses only on the big picture. Still a well-told story.
Phedre (Faydra) goes from being an unwanted child of a former prostitute, to fosterling of a noble spymaster, to courtesan, and continues to bounce around to possible spoilers.... It was just too many separate adventures for one book, rushing through each of them and not allowing the reader to form opinions outside the narrator.
Phedre did have many relationships as well as relationships that were enjoyable, if underwritten. The strong bond between Phedre, her street friend, her foster, and her foster brother were very clear, but she had other strong relationships with her foster's peers that she clearly valued (she'd break into tears of relief at seeing some of them) but that character barely got any page time (and with this many pages, that shouldn't have been hard). I did enjoy the final pairing of Phedre and, much to my surprise. The romance was very present, without being gushy or too in your face.
The Mists of Avalon meets Memoirs of a Geisha in this unusual alternative history novel. The story goes on forever (over 1000 pages), and would have been more enjoyable had it been broken up into 4 books with more attention spent on the character in the moment, rather than focuses only on the big picture. Still a well-told story.
Phedre (Faydra) goes from being an unwanted child of a former prostitute, to fosterling of a noble spymaster, to courtesan, and continues to bounce around to possible spoilers...
Spoiler
to Viking slave, to Queen's Emissary to Scotland (by way of Ireland), to advisor on the battlefieldPhedre did have many relationships as well as relationships that were enjoyable, if underwritten. The strong bond between Phedre, her street friend, her foster, and her foster brother were very clear, but she had other strong relationships with her foster's peers that she clearly valued (she'd break into tears of relief at seeing some of them) but that character barely got any page time (and with this many pages, that shouldn't have been hard). I did enjoy the final pairing of Phedre and
Spoiler
Joscelin
DNF @ 5%. I cannot believe this has been recommended so many times. 1) the writing is so long winded and pretentious (and not even like, FUN, or poetic. It's like she had a word count to meet) and 2) the creepy 'selling a child into sex slavery' plot was just TOO MUCH. like, no. sorry. this squicked me out waaaay too much to even continue past 5%.
[Dec 2020-Jan 2021 reread] Yup, a second listen of the audiobook confirms that this book has a permanent spot on my favorites list. Time to read book 2 for the first time!
[July-Sept 2023 reread] This is a third reread for me, I picked it up again in anticipation of a companion novel that was released in August.
Kushiel's Dart is set in fantasy world heavily inspired by renaissance Europe, so much so that you could almost catalogue it as alternate history as well as fantasy. We experience the story through the eyes of Phedre no Delauney, who is narrating it to us as if she was recounting a tale from her past. We follow her from childhood, when she was sold into servitude by her parents, to when her bond was purchased by a nobleman who saw her true worth & trained her to be a courtesan and spy, eventually embroiling her in a conspiracy that will see her gambling her life to save her country.
A lot of people mislabel the series as a fantasy romance due to the nature of what being a courtesan implies, but it is truly epic fantasy at it's finest. It features a brilliantly composed web of a plot manipulated by one of the best Machiavellian antagonists I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It features one of the most iconic examples of female empowerment in the protagonist, Phedre, who truly embodies the line *that which yields is not always weak*. It also happens to have the best slowburn romance I've ever read, and that *includes* fanfics y'all.
Anyone who really knows my taste in fiction knows how much I love religious themes/imagery & the apocryphal nature of stories found in religious texts. The religion crafted here was not created to be a plot device or to add flavour to worldbuilding, it's a deeply embedded part of the world that informs every aspect of the story. It's rare to find a story where the religion actually feels like a living, breathing faith & I've yet to read a book that does it better.
A lot of the negative reviews I've seen think the prose is overwrought, but I couldn't disagree more. I found it beautifully descriptive & poetic, in a way that enhances the setting while (it being written in 1st person POV) displaying Phedre's education and ability to analyze and dissect what she's experienced.
[July-Sept 2023 reread] This is a third reread for me, I picked it up again in anticipation of a companion novel that was released in August.
Kushiel's Dart is set in fantasy world heavily inspired by renaissance Europe, so much so that you could almost catalogue it as alternate history as well as fantasy. We experience the story through the eyes of Phedre no Delauney, who is narrating it to us as if she was recounting a tale from her past. We follow her from childhood, when she was sold into servitude by her parents, to when her bond was purchased by a nobleman who saw her true worth & trained her to be a courtesan and spy, eventually embroiling her in a conspiracy that will see her gambling her life to save her country.
A lot of people mislabel the series as a fantasy romance due to the nature of what being a courtesan implies, but it is truly epic fantasy at it's finest. It features a brilliantly composed web of a plot manipulated by one of the best Machiavellian antagonists I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It features one of the most iconic examples of female empowerment in the protagonist, Phedre, who truly embodies the line *that which yields is not always weak*. It also happens to have the best slowburn romance I've ever read, and that *includes* fanfics y'all.
Anyone who really knows my taste in fiction knows how much I love religious themes/imagery & the apocryphal nature of stories found in religious texts. The religion crafted here was not created to be a plot device or to add flavour to worldbuilding, it's a deeply embedded part of the world that informs every aspect of the story. It's rare to find a story where the religion actually feels like a living, breathing faith & I've yet to read a book that does it better.
A lot of the negative reviews I've seen think the prose is overwrought, but I couldn't disagree more. I found it beautifully descriptive & poetic, in a way that enhances the setting while (it being written in 1st person POV) displaying Phedre's education and ability to analyze and dissect what she's experienced.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
Yes it's as good as everyone says it is, though while everyone warns of the BDSM, no-one warns of the child-grooming element in the first half, which can be a bit uncomfortable, but honestly it is worth pushing through as it is only a small part.
The world is very interesting, though it has some very direct equivalents to real world locations and cultures, some where the names have not been changed at all (Eire and the historical Hellenes were of particular note to me).
That said, the mythology is unique and and fascinating, and the characters are well developed. The writing too is quite lovely, and the intrigue well done.
The world is very interesting, though it has some very direct equivalents to real world locations and cultures, some where the names have not been changed at all (Eire and the historical Hellenes were of particular note to me).
That said, the mythology is unique and and fascinating, and the characters are well developed. The writing too is quite lovely, and the intrigue well done.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
5 ⭐️
Une fantasy adulte politique très dense et complète.
Cette grosse brique de 1000 pages peut en freiner plus d’un mais elle vaut tellement le coup et reste inoubliable malgré tout.
C’est une histoire très dense et pas facile à comprendre : plusieurs religions, plusieurs ethnies, un monde vaste avec plusieurs peuples… une politique élaborée avec une liste de personnage à faire pâlir Game of Thrones.
Tout est si bien amené et préparé. La plume de l’autrice n’est pas lourde malgré la quantité d’informations.
Phedre est une protagoniste différente de ce que l’on peut trouver dans la fantasy standard. Elle n’est pas forte physiquement, ce n’est pas une guerrière mais elle sait écouter et tirer son épingle du jeu. Une protagoniste rafraîchissante que l’on a envie de respecter.
J’ai beaucoup aimé ma lecture. Je recommande a tout ceux qu’élu rechercherait une fantasy à la hauteur de GoT !
Une fantasy adulte politique très dense et complète.
Cette grosse brique de 1000 pages peut en freiner plus d’un mais elle vaut tellement le coup et reste inoubliable malgré tout.
C’est une histoire très dense et pas facile à comprendre : plusieurs religions, plusieurs ethnies, un monde vaste avec plusieurs peuples… une politique élaborée avec une liste de personnage à faire pâlir Game of Thrones.
Tout est si bien amené et préparé. La plume de l’autrice n’est pas lourde malgré la quantité d’informations.
Phedre est une protagoniste différente de ce que l’on peut trouver dans la fantasy standard. Elle n’est pas forte physiquement, ce n’est pas une guerrière mais elle sait écouter et tirer son épingle du jeu. Une protagoniste rafraîchissante que l’on a envie de respecter.
J’ai beaucoup aimé ma lecture. Je recommande a tout ceux qu’élu rechercherait une fantasy à la hauteur de GoT !
I could’ve done without the pre-pubescent back story and exposition.
Surprising
I had skipped this in the past as "some romance novel", but I was wrong! As sweeping as Guy Gavriel Kay, this book traverses continents and battles, secrets and spies, oaths and poetry. Highly recommend.
I had skipped this in the past as "some romance novel", but I was wrong! As sweeping as Guy Gavriel Kay, this book traverses continents and battles, secrets and spies, oaths and poetry. Highly recommend.