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A review by ebonis_tiny_library
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
1.0
I heard this was a classic. This is also a long review so buckle up!
“Love as thou wilt”
I’m annoyed that this series is recommended as a fantasy romance on booktok. This is more like a BDSM Game of Thrones if anything else. Phèdre is a courtesan spy and a damned good one, she’s highly sought out because of her unique..kinks. It was interesting to read about a masochist/submissive inside a fantasy setting. Definitely a unique experience.
Phèdre was 10 years old when she was introduced to this religion/sex cult. This entire world is built on these people believing their gods (in this case, Kushiel and Nammah) want them to always experience sexual pleasure through the exchange of pain. It is a way they worship and practice their religion. R*pe is a crime, they prided themselves on consent. That’s what the phrase “Love as thou wilt” is all about.
The world building is DENSE, and STEEPED in political drama. We don’t get to the actual plot until over 300 pages in. This was kind of a drag to get through tbh. This world’s foundation is sex positivity, but you get the ick because the whole time you’re asking yourself: are these children????
At 16 Phèdre is able to take clients and goes through this very sexually violent experience that pushes her to use the safe word that she never uses. There’s also a sexual relationship between a 16 year old boy and the man who raised him. A LOT OF CHILD GROOMING 🤢. She eventually grows up but I was cringing for a while hoping she would just become an adult already. As for the fmc herself, she was bland and boring.
I’ve heard so many great things about this series but I will not be continuing. This would’ve been an easy 4 stars if the MC and side characters were aged up and if the author toned down the excessive wordiness. And this did NOT need to be 1,040 pages 🙄 maybe the next one’s better?
Includes: child grooming, court politics, espionage, poly relationships, sapphic relationships, bdsm
“Love as thou wilt”
I’m annoyed that this series is recommended as a fantasy romance on booktok. This is more like a BDSM Game of Thrones if anything else. Phèdre is a courtesan spy and a damned good one, she’s highly sought out because of her unique..kinks. It was interesting to read about a masochist/submissive inside a fantasy setting. Definitely a unique experience.
Phèdre was 10 years old when she was introduced to this religion/sex cult. This entire world is built on these people believing their gods (in this case, Kushiel and Nammah) want them to always experience sexual pleasure through the exchange of pain. It is a way they worship and practice their religion. R*pe is a crime, they prided themselves on consent. That’s what the phrase “Love as thou wilt” is all about.
The world building is DENSE, and STEEPED in political drama. We don’t get to the actual plot until over 300 pages in. This was kind of a drag to get through tbh. This world’s foundation is sex positivity, but you get the ick because the whole time you’re asking yourself: are these children????
At 16 Phèdre is able to take clients and goes through this very sexually violent experience that pushes her to use the safe word that she never uses. There’s also a sexual relationship between a 16 year old boy and the man who raised him. A LOT OF CHILD GROOMING 🤢. She eventually grows up but I was cringing for a while hoping she would just become an adult already. As for the fmc herself, she was bland and boring.
I’ve heard so many great things about this series but I will not be continuing. This would’ve been an easy 4 stars if the MC and side characters were aged up and if the author toned down the excessive wordiness. And this did NOT need to be 1,040 pages 🙄 maybe the next one’s better?
Includes: child grooming, court politics, espionage, poly relationships, sapphic relationships, bdsm