Take a photo of a barcode or cover
nevarrum 's review for:
Kushiel's Dart
by Jacqueline Carey
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.