Scan barcode
A review by carlacbarroso
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
5.0
The book came highly recommended by Canochinha, who read this trilogy and insisted on boasting about it fomenting my curiosity. I understand now the enthusiasm... the book is magnificent!
The story of Phèdre nò Delauney is told by the protagonist and let me say that the author does a wonderful job. I've read several books told in first person, but few made me feel like the protagonist was really telling me her story. Generally we follow the narrator as the story unfolds, but in this book she really recounts the story of her life. With tricks like "this was what I thought at this time because I hardly knew what was coming," the author as it brings the character to life and we feel we're sharing the same room while she speaks of what happened to her leading to the present moment. But those devices have another reason to be since it sharpens our curiosity making it difficult (and let me emphasize how much difficult it is) to put down the book.
But beyond the great protagonist, the author also created many other rich characters, such as Melisande, who in her sadistic ways is simply extraordinary, and is also easy to see why she fascinates Phèdre; the Prince of Travellers, who makes a difficult choice (by the way, I loved the part set in the 3 Sisters); Joscelin, who seems to fight against his nature, but becomes a truthful Cassiel; and finally Ysandre, a very strong woman, a worthy monarch aware of what is waiting her, who inspires the loyalty of the main character. But the characters are nothing without a story and this is also very well done. While the action unfolds in a fictional version of Europe, making it easy to identify people and territories, we easily learn the mythology and history of such place, and we are quickly sucked into the middle of a complex political intrigue, where not everything seems to be what it is and whose plot seems far from seeing its end.
With characters so brilliantly constructed and a plot that keeps us sucked into the book, this volume has everything I look for and I can only recommend it. This is definitely a series to follow and I honestly can't wait to read the next installment.
The story of Phèdre nò Delauney is told by the protagonist and let me say that the author does a wonderful job. I've read several books told in first person, but few made me feel like the protagonist was really telling me her story. Generally we follow the narrator as the story unfolds, but in this book she really recounts the story of her life. With tricks like "this was what I thought at this time because I hardly knew what was coming," the author as it brings the character to life and we feel we're sharing the same room while she speaks of what happened to her leading to the present moment. But those devices have another reason to be since it sharpens our curiosity making it difficult (and let me emphasize how much difficult it is) to put down the book.
But beyond the great protagonist, the author also created many other rich characters, such as Melisande, who in her sadistic ways is simply extraordinary, and is also easy to see why she fascinates Phèdre; the Prince of Travellers, who makes a difficult choice (by the way, I loved the part set in the 3 Sisters); Joscelin, who seems to fight against his nature, but becomes a truthful Cassiel; and finally Ysandre, a very strong woman, a worthy monarch aware of what is waiting her, who inspires the loyalty of the main character. But the characters are nothing without a story and this is also very well done. While the action unfolds in a fictional version of Europe, making it easy to identify people and territories, we easily learn the mythology and history of such place, and we are quickly sucked into the middle of a complex political intrigue, where not everything seems to be what it is and whose plot seems far from seeing its end.
With characters so brilliantly constructed and a plot that keeps us sucked into the book, this volume has everything I look for and I can only recommend it. This is definitely a series to follow and I honestly can't wait to read the next installment.