Kushiel's Chosen (Kushiel's Legacy) by Jacqueline Carey Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Kushiel's Chosen (Kushiel's Legacy)
Book Review: Flabby and overhyped, but still an interesting read
Summary: 2 Stars
Phedre is back in her ongoing pursuit of sex and power in the sequel to Kushiel's Dart, one of the most praised books of last year. The early review copies drip with praise that has always been over the top in my mind, but there was no denying that Dart was a startling read. Kushiel's Chosen is a decidedly less impressive. The character of Melisande has gone from menacing to annoying, while Phedre is suffering from Honor Harrington Syndrome; is there no trial too great for our heroine to overcome?The excessive praise heaped on this series is just that--excessive. Which is a shame, because it ends up meaning that the praise that IS deserved--this is a mostly interesting, though not earthshattering book--gets lost in the great hype, which only serves to make the experience disappointing...
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
Kushiel's Dart was a book deserving of most of the praise it got. Kushiel's Chosen proves that, more often than not, lightning does not strike twice in the same place.What in Dart was dramatic, in Chosen is melodramatic. What was sexy in Dart is overdone in Chosen. What was interestingly evil [Melisande, one of my favorite villianesses of last year] is now flat and screechy, reminding me of Rita Repulsa in the old Power Rangers cartoons.
Some stories are epic enough to nake into series or trilogies. Some do better on their own. The Terre d'Ange is one of those. Harsh as I know it must be to tell a writer who has poured as much effort into world development as Jaqueline Carey has that she should move on to bigger and better things, Jackie, move on. Characterization is not your strong suit.
Book Review: Brilliant Sequel to Kushiel's Dart
Summary: 5 Stars
In Kushiel's Chosen, Jacqueline Carey has written a phenomenal successor to Kushiel's Dart. The novel picks up where Kushiel's Dart ends and takes the beautiful, bull-headed, intelligent, vain, patriotic and conflicted heroine, Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève, on further adventures to distant, fascinating lands. It begins with a well-executed mystery (where is the captivating Melisande hiding?) and progresses through a wild series of misadventures into a thoughtful story about the consequences of one's actions and the act of redemption. In between, we find ourselves caught up once again in the tumultuous relationship between Phèdre and Joscelin. Stubborn courage and their love for each other are the only things they have in common. Can such opposites remain together? Once again, Carey's characters are complex and deal with issues that we can reflect on in ourselves. Another strength of both books is the artful way that Carey has of creating complex, believable religions. Kushiel's Chosen is a fitting sequel to Carey's first brilliant novel.