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A review by accidentalspaceexplorer
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
adventurous
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There are a lot of things I really enjoyed about this on re-read - the fact that it's unashamedly kinky but always reaffirms that consent is necessary, the way that the story sucks me in even though it's a thousand pages long, and the fun alternate history and worldbuilding woven into Terre d'Ange. I also liked Joscelin better upon this re-read, even though I noticed his persistent flaws more.
Now, I was definitely a little concerned about the portrayal of the alternate version of the Roma, since I would have liked to have seen more stereotypes subverted there, but I do recognize that this was written like 20 years ago, so it won't be perfect. And I do think that sometimes the way that Phédre solved basically every problem with sex went a bit far, but I'm also willing to set aside my disbelief for the sake of an otherwise enjoyable book.
Overall, though, my re-read has me excited about reading the second book, and I'm ready to see where the world takes Phédre and Joscelin.
Now, I was definitely a little concerned about the portrayal of the alternate version of the Roma, since I would have liked to have seen more stereotypes subverted there, but I do recognize that this was written like 20 years ago, so it won't be perfect. And I do think that sometimes the way that Phédre solved basically every problem with sex went a bit far, but I'm also willing to set aside my disbelief for the sake of an otherwise enjoyable book.
Overall, though, my re-read has me excited about reading the second book, and I'm ready to see where the world takes Phédre and Joscelin.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, and Torture
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery
The main character, Phedre, engages in a lot of BDSM play, including spanking, blood play, humiliation, exhibitionism, whipping, etc. Most of it is consensual and she derives a lot of pleasure from it, although there is some rape/sexual assault, as I mentioned above. On the whole though, this book is fairly explicit! Be warned.