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: "Kushiel's Chosen" a superior fantasy novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Jacqueline Carey's excellent Kushiel's Chosen is twice as good as its predecessor, Kushiel's Dart. The rise in quality comes not from the fast-paced plot, which is enough to keep you turning pages, but from Ms. Carey's exceptional development of her characters.
The book picks up right from where Kushiel's Dart left off. Phedre decides at once to pursue Melisandre Shahrizai to La Serenissima, the seat of the powerful Stregazza family. However, there is one problem: to do it, she must re-enter Naamah's Service, the sacred prositution of Terre D'Ange. Phedre's decision causes a rift between her and her lover/protector, Joscelin Verreuil. Joscelin, a former Cassiline celibate, is torn between keeping his vow to protect Phedre and dealing with the realities of exactly what Phedre does with her clients.
There is a great more detail about some of these encounters, explicit but elegantly phrased and sometimes humorous. (A scene where Phedre is bound up by a lover who tries, and fails, to interrogate her played beautifully on the fact that Phedre was as far from intimidated as could be.) In the end, all these encounters lead to a staged scene which gets Phedre on her way to La Serenissima to find Melisandre. And once there, Phedre gets caught in an assassination plot that sees her sent to prison, facing death, and undergoing a purification ceremony.
The fun of Kushiel's Chosen is that while there's a romance at heart, Joscelin and Phedre stay true to who they are--at least, as the writer has written them. Phedre doesn't try to shield Joscelin from the consequences of her decision to go back to Naamah's Service; nor does Joscelin attempt to "understand" or excuse Phedre's behavior. Their warfare goes on for nearly half the book, with exchanges that made me wince. Likewise, Melisandre is one of the best villains in fantasy--a dark goddess, seductive, and driven as much by love as she is by ambition. And then there is the Stregazza family, with brothers Marco and Ricciardo fighting for position in the Dogal elections, and Marco's son Severin struggling to win Phedre's heart.
There are more events I could discuss (the Unforgiven, Benedict de la Courcel's marriage), but why give the book away? This review has already given enough of the novel away, and you'll want to savor this book page by page. Kushiel's Chosen is a treasure hunt; get started and enjoy the quest. You'll be happy you did.
Book Review: Gorgeous cover, but more of the same on the inside
Summary: 2 Stars
I liked Kushiel's Dart. I gave it a positive review, though I thought it had a few flaws. I loved the detail with which the author created the world and the people in it.
My problem with the sequel is that it seems to be just more of the same. If you liked the first novel, well, you will probably love this one. I found myself bored. Again we have the intricate political intrigues, again masterminded by the same person as from the first book, who again escapes at the end of the book to torment the heroine to explosions of purple prose for a third novel. I would have liked to see different kinds of stories. The main character is a unique brand of courtesan in a world which resembles our own and is yet so different. Is politics the only thing she can experience?
Yes, new lands are explored in this novel. There are alternate versions of Greece and Venice, and clever details throughout. But I felt like I had gone through it all already. The middle section of the book drags as Phedre is captured, rescued, nearly drowned, rescued, forced to understand a foreign culture while sleeping with a slightly savage lord. And so many characters! I hate to say it, but I was relieved, as in the first book, when a few of them were killed, so I didn't have to keep track of them.
I hope that the people who liked the first novel like this one, really I do. But if you had any lukewarm feelings about the first novel, you might want to give this one a miss.
Book Review: A Slight Slip in Entertainment
Summary: 5 Stars
I rated this book five stars, and don't hesitate to buy it. While it wasn't as good as the first book in the series (Kushiel's Dart) it is still worth owning and proudly displaying in any collection.
The book slipped down on the entertainment scale because it feels like a second novel. Our favorite masochist, Phedre, is back with her slew of followers tantalizing our senses with a serving of sorrow, lust, fear, and hope. Once again, I cried throughout the novel at the different plot twists that occured. Once again, there was politics and a fascinating world. However, it seemed as if the plot and the writing merely served as a filler for the third book about Hyacinthe.
I blame Carey for making it imperative in my life to know whether or not Joscelin and Phedre were going to get back together by the end of the book. I couldn't set it down. Read it, and you'll find out yourself. :)
And now... now I must go out and buy the third book and find out the end to this fascinating series. Well, the end until she writes Imriel, that is.
Book Review: A Worthy Sequel
Summary: 4 Stars
I would give this book 4.5 stars if I could. Carey avoids the sophomore slump with Kushiel's Chosen and delivers another fantasy treat.
She picks up where Dart left off, with Phedre and Joscelin still as war with one another and Terre d' Ange finally at peace. Phedre has two quests in this book, to find her former lover and traitor to the crown, Melisande, and to discover a way to free her friend Hyacinthe from his imprisonment. She does this by restarting her career as a courtesan and using her skills to wheedle information out of her clients. It's basically the same sexy, intrigue-laden premise as the last book (political treachery), but with new characters and settings.
This time Carey treats us to her version of Italy, Greece and Crete, complete with her signature and lavish attention to detail. The descriptions are fascinating and colorful and allow the reader to really invision the characters, their homelands, and their cultures.
Phedre and Joscelin do some growing up in this novel, although at times it feels a wee bit forced. More attention is also paid to Ysandre, queen of Terre d' Ange, allowing the reader a more attractive, personal view of her.
Overall this book is an absolute must read for fans of Kushiel's dart. Those who were squeamish about the sex in the first book won't feel anymore comfortable with this one, though. For the rest of us, it's definately a worthy sucessor.
Book Review: Spellbinding
Summary: 5 Stars
I wouldn't agree that the novel seems hastily written, I found it cohesive and completely addictive. The development of the characters from Kushiel's Dart is believable, and very enjoyable. Melisande continues to be a formidable adversary and one wickedly enjoyable to read about.