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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
haven't been able to put a book down like this since the missing of clairdelune. interesting worldbuilding and great writing, though for some reason there starts to be a lot of unnecessary one line paragraphs in the second half of the book. also, i should have counted how many times phedre was like "i never understood why A was B, but now i see why".
the way phedre considers using of the safe word an utter loss is disappointing.
the way phedre considers using of the safe word an utter loss is disappointing.
I'm officially marking this one DNF. I enjoyed the writing and the main POV is interesting. I enjoy the worldbuilding, it's just not grabbing me at the moment. I think I really need to be in the mood for a complex cast of characters and political fantasy.
I read this alongside a retelling from my favorite podcasters (Witch Bitch Amateur Hour’s spin-off Patreon Simply Captivating), and I wouldn’t have started or finished it otherwise. The story takes place in an alternate world where the main characters are “god-touched” and not entirely human, and sexuality is viewed and acted out differently. However, I still found the main character’s age of consent for her indentured service hard to accept. Were it not for the context and discussion I got from the WBAH girls along the way, I wouldn’t have been able to get past that to enjoy the epic story. Reading along with them, I enjoyed it despite its issues so many other reviewers have detailed in full already. I wouldn’t recommend it, and yet I don’t regret reading it. *Read as thou wilt!
Possibly 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up because this seems like the type of book that would do really well on a reread.
I loved many of the characters, and the plot was interesting and kept me invested. The book is a little long, and I don't just mean page count -- there are places where I think it drags a bit and could have been made shorter. But it doesn't feel like that through the whole read, just in bits. On the other hand, there were parts of it that had my emotions running strong, hence the higher rating.
Will definitely be picking up book 2 sometime soon.
I loved many of the characters, and the plot was interesting and kept me invested. The book is a little long, and I don't just mean page count -- there are places where I think it drags a bit and could have been made shorter. But it doesn't feel like that through the whole read, just in bits. On the other hand, there were parts of it that had my emotions running strong, hence the higher rating.
Will definitely be picking up book 2 sometime soon.
This book took close to two months to read. There were moments the book flowed and then there were moments it ebbed. Kushiel's Dart follows the early life and experiences of Phedre no Delaunay, a child that serves Naamah and Kushiel. Because she serves Naamah, she offers pleasure. Because she has a direct connection to Kushiel, she experiences pain as pleasure and vice-versa. The book discusses her training, her customers, a betrayal, a fight to save her country and her friends from turmoil. It takes patience and grit to complete this book. It was an interesting story. Keep in mind that this book is not all sex or all about flagellants. There is a deeper fantastical story! Those who like this book, just like it. Those who do not will take a quick pass and never pick it up again.
I think this was actually a goodreads recommendation but it is a book I have been aware of for a while. I tend to ignore to view an controversy around a book or a record as being a recommendation in itself> The culture that is described is rich and yes opulent and maybe sexually utopian with a religion built upon the precept of "Love as thou wilt." I'm sure a lot of people found the sexual slavery that poor people were born or sold into too much and they put down the book. Equally I can see why Phedre as a character that actively enjoys pain and which initially describes her assignations in some detail would also put people off. I found both these aspects of the story to be interesting devices for the culture of the story and for the main character herself. I didn't think that this aspect of the world building did anything other than add to the story and the author has created a richly described alternative history for parts of the world that are familiar to the reader and strange due to the skill of the author.
However at it's heart this is a story of political intrigue, war, spying and a journey from poverty to being a Peer of the Realm which is told with skill and more than a few surprises along the way.
The story does drag a bit at times with more description than is strictly required but the end is fast and furious with many twists along the way.
I will return to Terre D'Ange in the future to see what happens to Phedre next.
However at it's heart this is a story of political intrigue, war, spying and a journey from poverty to being a Peer of the Realm which is told with skill and more than a few surprises along the way.
The story does drag a bit at times with more description than is strictly required but the end is fast and furious with many twists along the way.
I will return to Terre D'Ange in the future to see what happens to Phedre next.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No