Jacqueline Carey

This extraordinary novel will be loved by fans of George R. R. Martin and Sylvia Day alike – an intoxicating fantasy of intrigue, betrayal and desire. Phèdre nó Delaunay has a turbulent path before her, one that will touch the life of queens and princes – and change the course of her land, but this all lies ahead . . . After a childhood of indentured servitude, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with a very particular mission. He's also the first to recognize who and what she is: one touched by the god Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Her journey will take her to the edge of despair and beyond, as false friend, loving enemy and beloved assassin can all wear the same glittering mask. Navigating a world of deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear. Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart won the Locus Award for Best First Novel and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Fantasy.

Kushiel's Dart

"When Love cast me out, it was Cruelty who took pity on me." In a kingdom born of angels, Phedre is an anguisette, cursed or blessed to find pleasure in pain. Sold to the Court of Night Blooming Flowers, her fate as a beautiful but anonymous courtesan was sealed. Her bond was purchased by the nobleman Anafiel Delauney, who recognized the scarlet mote in Phedre's eye as the rare mark of one touched by a powerful deity. Under Delauney's patronage she is trained in history, politics, language, and the use of body and mind as the ultimate weapon of subterfuge in a dangerous game of courtly intrigue. Guided into the bed chambers of Terre D'Ange's most influential nobles, Phedre uncovers a conspiracy against the throne so vast that even her teacher cannot see the whole of it. As her nation is besieged by invading hordes from the north, the most unthinkable threat to her beloved home comes from traitors within. Betrayed and blindsided by her own longings, only Phedre and her trusted bodyguard Josselin are left to cross borders and warring armies in a race to stop the final blow from falling. Enter a lush world of pleasure houses, ambitious warlords, scheming courtiers, and the harsh justice of blessed deities through the eyes of a heroine like no other. Sprawling and darkly sensual, Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart is the start of a truly original fantasy series.

lianna

Bella Baxter

Okay, so it took me a month to read this and it was pretty agonizing. The only reason why I gave it three stars was because it was interesting. I always wanted to know what was next. My main problem was that this world that Carey created was huge. Almost too huge.  I'm all about detail to set the context of the story, but man, I couldn't keep up with all of the houses, sigils, aesthetics, the people associated with it, it was just massive. I tried. 

The biggest thing I couldn't get over is Phedre's ego.  The girl may be a courtesan or whatever, but because of who her mentor is and how she talked about herself, I just kept getting the feeling that she somehow considered herself entitled and it drove me nuts. Pleasure through pain? Nooooo thank you lol.

As I read, I kept telling myself, Phedre's young, she'll mature and grow out of a lot, but she didn't, and she kept making dumb mistakes and putting herself in harm's way because she thought she wasn't worth anything. Girl, bye. Mentored by one of the most powerful nobles in the city, getting to meet important people, placing yourself in the center of the biggest betrayal plot in history and you thought you were worthless? Think again. I do love that she's very history and culture smart. That she knows how to piece information together to find answers no one else could. 

Another thing: why is everyone constantly crying? I mean, geez, if no one's crying in a chapter, then I suppose there's no depth or humanity to them? I could do without all of that. 

Characters I did love:
-JOSCELIN. This guy is the f*cking SHIT. If there's a reason why I kept reading the book, it's definitely because of him. Incredibly bad-ass, man on a mission, which is unfortunately to babysit Phedre's idiocy, but he's very good at sticking to his beliefs. Yes, he fell short in a couple of places because we all do as humans, but I never stopped respecting him or rooting for him.  I knew this guy had a purpose. And I was proud of him for fighting and for being resilient. Oh, and I shipped him and Phedre from the minute they met. Someone needs to keep her in check....
-Hyacinthe is that exotic boyfriend I've always wanted-graceful, mysterious, beautiful, wise, kind...the list just goes on.  I love how selfless he is, that he would do anything for his family and friends.
-Delauney-He wrote pretty amazing poetry.  

I didn't quite get the fantasy aspect of the book.  There really wasn't any magic until towards the end of the book, so my anticipation was kind of in vain. I was happy to be done with the book, but it ended on a cliffhanger so being the curious person that I am, I've gotta keep going lol.

This extraordinary novel will be loved by fans of George R. R. Martin and Sylvia Day alike - an intoxicating fantasy of intrigue, betrayal and desire. Phèdre nó Delaunay has a turbulent path before her, one that will touch the life of queens and princes - and change the course of her land, but this all lies ahead...After a childhood of indentured servitude, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with a very particular mission. He's also the first to recognize who and what she is: one touched by the god Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.Phèdre is trained equally in history, politics and the courtly arts - but she's also eventually taught the arts of pleasure, And above all, she learns how to observe, remember and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path, then love and honour goad her further. Her journey will take her to the edge of despair and beyond, as false friend, loving enemy and beloved assassin can all wear the same glittering mask. Navigating a world of deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear. Kushiel's Dart won the Locus Award for Best First Novel in 2002. It also won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Fantasy.

Jeff James

Sweepingly epic, sensual, romantic, erotic, and a hell of a good read. I actually bought this book 5 years ago (when I bought Harry Potter #5), and it's a shame I waited this long to finally read it. It seems like the epic books I've read recently (this, Cryptonomicon, Foucault's Pendulum) have been the best and brightest of my collection, easily outpacing everything else I pick up. It makes me want to read them all the more, now, which is great considering I have the two other books in this trilogy, as well as any number of huge and imposing books waiting in the wings.

Carol Bailey

I'm not sure if I could have formally sat down to read this book, simply because it is so very long. When the audible became available I jumped at it. 

The audible is 96 chapters and 31 +- hours long but the narrator was very good.

The story itself, for me, initially dragged in the first chapter or two when we are first introduced to Phedre. After that, it quickly starts to pick up the pace. It's a complex story of political intrigue with all sorts of interesting characters and unexpected plot twists.

I am seriously considering listening to the next in the series.

Evil Lizzard

The first couple of chapters were slow going. I wasn’t interested in the history of the world yet. But after a little while, I just couldn’t put the book down anymore, and the historical aspects of the world became the most interesting, and intimately interwoven with the main characters’ personal stories. It is such a rich and rewarding tapestry of storytelling. I also love the main character’s relationship to pain and torture. It gives the story an entirely different dimension. Highly recommended.

Have to think about it, but I liked it a lot

Annabella

Fraser Simons

I have way too many books to consume these days. A thousand page book needs to really justify the time I’m going to put into it, and this just wasn’t doing anything I was interested in, though I did like the prose and thought it had good flow, overall. I don’t think it had gotten to introduce a theme, not much had happened after 3 hours of listening time, and it feels like another chonker fantasy book that, with maybe no exceptions I’ve yet to experience?, continue to feel self indulgent to the point of being masturbatory. 

I just have way too many books to read. It’s becoming clear that epic fantasy probably just isn’t to my taste.

I have a lot to say about this book. Review to come soon!

---

Okay. So. Five stars.

My thoughts when I first delved into this book ranged from: "Hooooly crap, this book is looooong..." and "...*yawn.* This is boring."

Admittedly, this book has a preeeetty slow start, which is probably why a lot of people first put the book down.
Don't be fooled by this, though. The book WILL pick up, and after it picks up, it never sets itself back down again. 

So, anyway, to the plot!
The protagonist of this story is a girl named Phedre. Her age is sort of unclear as you get to the meat of the story, but she is born as the "unwanted whore's get" of a Night Court adept and an unknown other, and she soon enters the service of a deity named Naamah. Phedre has been "pricked" by Kushiel's Dart, which can be told from the scarlet mote in her eye. This basically means that pain (well, to an extent) is pleasure for her. So, she is an anguisette, the first of her type in a long while. Her marque is soon sold to a man named Anafiel Delaunay, a kind master respected in the Terra D'Ange court, who teaches her to observe so that she might be his eyes and ears in court.

The writing is handled with such finesse and such splendor that I'm really, really surprised that this is actually Jacqueline Carey's first novel. I mean, seriously, now. She's good.

To put it straight out there: Phedre is a prostitute. At the behest of patrons who buy her from her mentor (Delaunay), her sexual favors are sold to the highest bidder. However, in the culture of Kushiel's Dart, this practice is highly celebrated (and sometimes respected, depending on the person) and prostitution is referred to as the serving of Naamah's will.

The sex scenes seem to be a bit stumbling block for those who first pick up this novel, especially for those whose tastes are more on the vanilla side. The sex scenes are sporadic and not very long, even though they do involve some pretty hefty bdsm material. 

Okay. Moving past the sex and onto the characters (I can hear your sigh of disappointment, Phillip).

I loved Phedre as a main character. Her development was intriguing, she kept my interest, and I just really, really loved her. I'm not sure about her taste of clients, though (I was guilty of throwing up my hands and snorting every time she took one as much as Joscelin did!). Joscelin and Hyacinthe were wonderfully done, in the end. 

It's sort of hard to say much more about such a loooooooooong book without spoiling anything, so I suppose I'll keep this review brief. This book is absolutely worth the read, to anyone considering it. Just give it a shot!

Sarah Escorsa

💀 DNF at 21%.

Finally! A DNF! Believe it or not, it’s been such a long time since I added a book to my beloved DNF Graveyard that my murderous babies were getting super concerned and stuff! (So much so that they even considered calling Dr. Prawn to the rescue *eyeroll* Foolish—if bloodthirsty—crustaceans can be so foolish—if bloodthirsty—sometimes.) Worry not, homicidal children mine, for your beloved father still is as easily peeved and bored as ever! Yay and stuff!

Okay, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hours ranting about this book, so let the crap be cut dramatically! So. I kinda sorta like Carey's prose (maybe. a little. perhaps), BUT:

① Call me weird and a ridiculously over-principled, old-fashioned shrimp, but auctioning 16-year-olds' virginity and institutionalizing prostitution in the name of a religion doesn't sit very well with me. Neither do objectifying and humiliating people for one’s personal enjoyment.



② Utterly Boring Boredom of Boredness (UBBoB™) is me. Quod erat demonstrandum, methinks.

③ Call me stupid and silly and stuff, but the medieval France-inspired setting, and ensuing excessive use of French names and words bugged the fish out of me (being somewhat 38.45866% French, I think I have the lawfully lawful right to be ever-so-slightly exasperated here). Still, I have to admit the narrator did a pretty good job with the pronunciation. I don’t think she mispronounced a single annoying French word or name at any time while I was listening to this most fascinating book. Which is very lucky for my phone Eminently Nefarious Listening Device (ENLD™). I probably would have thrown it into the deepest depths of my cherished Mariana Trench, had it not been for Ms Flosnik’s Otherworldly Pronunciation Skills (OPS™). So Pop! Goes the Weasel “Phew!” Goes my SNLD™ and stuff!

➽ And the moral of this I Might Be Ancient and Ever Decaying But the Force of the DNF is Still With Me So Yay and Stuff All Hope Is Not Lost and the World Will Not End Just Yet Crappy Non Review (IMBAaEDBtFotDNFiSWMSYaSAHINLatWWNEJYCNR™) is: I think there’s a moderately good chance I quite possibly didn’t like this book very much. Not sure though. I might have to get back to you on that later. Much much much later. Say in 2458 or something. Maybe.



P.S. Now patiently waiting for the 
  Phèdre Tattooed Hordes of Doom
 (PTHoD™) to unleash their vindictive legions on me for DNFing reading this book right wrong. But hey, I'm not scared. I've got Lucinda my pet ninja hamster to defend me and stuff. (view spoiler)[
  

  

  
 (hide spoiler)]



[August 15, 2018]

Me, about to start listening to this book:

Shafel McDowall

I DNF'ed this book at around 54%. However, considering the book is over one thousand pages I count it as a full book read. 

I wanted to love this story but sometimes the writing was just too confusing. Jacqueline, like many fantasy writers, do not realize that readers don't understand their books as well as they do. I am not in your head Jacqueline, it's hard for me to keep track of all these characters. All the characters have strange names and titles, and she does very little to distinguish them for the readers. For example, let's say a character is named John Doe. On one page she will refer to them as John, then on the next page as Doe. This becomes extremely confusing when the names are unfamiliar to the English language. 

 I knew this book had some explicit sexual content, but quite frankly I found most of it annoying or cringey. It's creepy reading about a 7 year old being sexually attracted to a grown man. Strangely, I was most disturbed by her sexual attraction to the main antagonist. This person is evil incarnate, yet every time our protagonist meets them, they become a dummy. EVERY TIME. 

I kept reading this book because the political intrigue was very exciting, but once again, it was so hard keeping track of who was who, I could hardly understand what was happening. Major characters were dying and I felt nothing because I was too busy feeling confused, trying to figure out who betrayed who.

Sunyi Dean

I would describe this book as "masochist woman with slightly magical vagina conquers the world". 

Note - this is not a criticism. It's well written, amusing, intricate, interesting. It's nice to read a book where people don't have sexual hangups, which is straight faced and upfront about bdsm (not being silly) while also thoughtfully exploring the implications of a society which incorporates it. 

The romance aspect is actually chaste for the most part, because in a world/book where sex isn't much of a big deal, people by and large aren't repressed about these things; therefore the people she doesn't sleep with take on additional significance. 

I have no desire to read the rest though because I think the book is complete as is and would not benefit from sequels.

Judy McClure

Erica

I’d like to thank Olga for turning me on to this series. This was the first fantasy novel I’ve read that didn’t have any magic in it, though it does have a supernatural aspect. The plot is centered around a courtesan who gets herself wrapped up in political intrigue, and the world reflects a mix of ancient, dark ages, and renaissance Europe.

Halsted Mencotti Bernard

I have a new job, and no longer have much free time to spare, so I am no longer going to try to finish books I'm not enjoying. I did not enjoy this book. It has some serious world-building problems centered around consent and sexuality. The characters were mildly entertaining but behaved predictably, and more than one was only used as a plot device. It just wasn't very good.

Anyaconda

Interesting premise, great flowery writing style, but boy did it get politically complicated. It was really hard to remember who's who as there are so many names thrown around.
Not sure if I'm going to continue with this series yet 🤔

Sara

A. D. Knapp

Sold into indentured servitude at the exotic Night Court as a child, PhFdre n= Delaunay, faces a difficult choice between honor and duty as she deals with a world of glittering luxury, conspiracy, sacrifice, and betrayal and plays a key role in protecting her land from a dangerously clever and evil villainess. Reprint.

Kushiel's Dart

Reviews

Highlights