Kushiel's Avatar (Kushiel's Legacy) by Jacqueline Carey Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Kushiel's Avatar (Kushiel's Legacy)
Book Review: a good read
Summary: 4 Stars
While this book was not as good as Kushiel's Dart, it was better than Kushiel's Choosen, and still a very enjoyable read. The characters which I came to know in the first two parts of this trilogy were still as full of life as before, and the plot was well thought out.Many questions left after Kushiel's Choosen were answered, such as Imriel, and the true nature of Phedre.
All in all a book I would re-read, and one which I wish to see more of. I was sad to see Phedre's tale end.
Book Review: phedre matures
Summary: 4 Stars
I was expecting to be disappointed from the reviews on here and from the ho-hum 2nd book in the series. I wasn't.Carey put in all the usual convoluted plot twists, family and political intrigue, strange events, unpronounceable names and excessive traveling to new lands. The main difference is that 10 years have passed since we last knew everyone and that time has been good. All the characters have matured and their personalities have deepened. Phedre is a woman, not a girl playing spy games and I find her even more appealing than in the other two books. Joscelin is a much more relaxed man, secure in himself and their love together. Melisande even has her claws cut a bit and becomes much more human (she now has a HUGE weak-spot).
The plot starts off simply but becomes tangled and the travelers become very sidetracked, as always. This time, their adventures become extremely dark for about 1/3 of the book. Joscelin and Phedre are tested to the core of their beings and their love. I found this section of the story very moving. Phedre begins to feel the presence of her gods and this drives a lot of the rest of the story. She finds out the truth of her nature, more than she ever wanted too. (She also gets the chance to save the world, essentially, but that's almost a footnote.)
The whole book is about faith and love-losing it and finding it, both within and without oneself. Above all, it is about love itself, in all its forms and powers. Love can be a weapon and a healer, it can save and it can curse, it can kill and bring life. Phedre's journey through her spiritual awakening is much deeper than I expected for this series. On the whole, I found it to be a very moving book and deeply religious (in the various religions of the land.)
For the book itself, it is much better than the second book. They are faced with the real world more than simply backstabbing court politics (like the second book). There are a few explicit sex scenes between her and Joscelin thrown in (only one integral to the plot). Her abilities as an anguissette are used only for one part of this book, sexually speaking (it saves her life and the lives of others). Part of her journey is discovering that bearing pain can take many forms and not just for the pleasure of others or herself. She also begins to find purpose in the fact that she was god-chosen and that it wasn't just a random event. All the political intrigue seems to wear on her and after her experiences she feels it's all rather shallow. I have a feeling she'll be less immersed in court politics when this is done.
This book is the same as the other two on the surface, but the deep thread running through the book is about the larger questions of humanity and Carey does a good job of letting Phedre figure out her own answers. I think it was a fitting ending to the series. We have watched a girl grow into a complete woman.
Book Review: A fitting end...
Summary: 4 Stars
Of all of the books in the Kushiel's Dart series, this one is definitely the darkest. Phedre's travels take her into territories unknown to her geographically, as well as into the deepest chasms of her soul. Phedra must face the darkest parts of herself in order to fulfill promises not only to Hyacinth, her most beloved friend, but to the traitorous Millisande. It is a story of loyalty and honor as well as of redemption.What was particularly intriguing about this story was the comparison between Phedre's reluctant acceptance of who and what she is with Imriel's (Millisande's son) ignorance (and later defiance) of his heritage. If Jacqueline Carey chooses to write another Terre D'Ange story, I do hope that it follows Imriel's path and the long road he (no doubt) will have to take in accepting who and what he is.
Overall, this story should be pleasing to anyone who has read the previous books in the Kushiel's Dart series. However, there are times where the story seems to drag, as Phedre and her party stop in and greet everyone she has met both in this book and the previous two (tying up loose ends, I suppose). Carey spends some needless time on characters that do not truly deserve it (and often are simply forgettable). And there are times when readers will probably say "Yes, yes... we know Phedre carries this heavy burden so lets just get on with it already!" But the story itself is beautiful in it's own way, though it does not compare to the first two (hence the 4 star rating rather than 5).
Enjoy.
Book Review: an absolute must read
Summary: 5 Stars
if you've read the first two books in this trilogy, this book is required reading. it helps bring all the plotlines left loose together, and the ending is satisfying, if somewhat depressing. i read this book in a day, and i am still dazed. carey has done it again.Book Review: So disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
I loved Kushiel's Dart. I liked Kushiel's Chosen, though I admit I think the characters I had been so intrigued with in the first book had lost a lot of their edge. Now it is gone completely. Kushiel's Avatar still has some of the grit left, but on the whole I have to admit it took me a very long time to finish this book I had anticipated so much. I read Dart in a single sitting, avoiding sleep and even sit-down meals. This was a struggle to finish. The plot is average, not what I have come to expect of Carey. I guess this is an interesting analogy to the passion and hard core sex that has been Ms. Carey's stock in trade. Even the hottest of fires cools to ash. Sometimes I guess it flares out quickly. I am glad to see this story is finally over. I will probably read Elegy for Darkness, just to see if she can rejuvenate my interest, but I will not preorder it, nor will I buy it in hardcover. I recommend this policy to others as well.