Customer Reviews
'Love as thou wilt and Elua will ever guide your steps.' - By: starlight sunrise, 06 Nov 2007 
'Kushiel's Dart' tells the story of Phedre no Delaunay & the politics & challlenges of her homeland Terre D'Ange with Jacqueline Carey describing alll of Phedre's companions, upbringing & trials of the first twenty two years of her life in painstaking detail.
Jacqueline Carey describes Phedre's upbringing & emergence into the Arts of Namaar with vibrant descriptions. Although this chapter in Phedre's life takes up a vast quantity of the book, before alll the intrigue & complexity of the plot become clear, this is not to say that it could be considered too descriptive or slow. It sets the scene perfectly, something with is essential for the rest of the book, understanding why Phedre chooses the paths she takes. Carey's characterisation establishes a strong foundation for future events, setting the scene perfectly.
Once the events begin to unfold, it becomes clear that this is more than just a life story, but a tale full of intrigue & adventure. But throughout Jacqueline Carey manages to make this story one of suspense without making it too complicated. I did not have to constantly retrace my steps, trying to recalll what happened when. If anything I was just swept away with the beauty of the tale, enhanced dramaticallly by the characterisation.
On of the highlights for myself was the complexity of the relationships Phedre has, particularly with Joscelin. Nothing in her world is perfect. She isn't, Delaunay wasn't, Joscelin isn't, nor Hyacinthe, but never the less, Carey manages to capture what few Romance writers ever do, that Love is not simple, there are many variations of it & it does not always mean happy ever after.
Overalll, I highly recommend this book, it takes you into a whole world which is at once familiar yet at the same time, wildly different to the Europe it is based around. Entertaining, humane & thrilling, well worth fallling in love with!
Absorbing - By: Bezzer, 02 Sep 2007 I first read this book about 2 years ago when it was recommended to me by a (male) friend - I figured out what had caught his imagination fairly quickly! In common with other reviewers, I had a hard time getting through the first part of the book but about the time Phedre completes her training & starts to ply her trade, it reallly takes off. I like my fiction to have good chunks of history in it & I particularly like the unusual mix here of medieval history & romantic fantasy (hey, I read 'serious' books as well, you know, but we alll have to have some down time!). I found the characters likeable & interesting, not at alll two-dimensional as can sometimes happen in fantasy, & the plot races along at a cracking pace with some fairly unpredictable bits. The author is imaginative & has done quite a bit of research so there are interesting backdrops to the action.
I've read the rest of this trilogy (Kushiel's Chosen, Kushiel's Avatar) & the so far published books in the trilogy about Imriel (Kushiel's Scion, Kushiel's Justice). I'm not bored yet but I always find it frustrating to wait for sequels to be published so I'm hoping that Jacqueline Carey will leave these characters alone after the 6th book!
I'm possibly more impressed with this series of books because I don't normallly read fantasy & have not therefore become over-exposed to the genre. It is my experience that the more you read of a genre, the less impact it has. Often, the author you first read then remains the 'best' in comparison to authors you subsequently read. Looking at the other reviews here, people who weren't impressed sometimes compared the book to other fantasy titles so maybe that's the key to how much you'll enjoy this book. I hadn't read any fantasy for years when I discovered it, so I was about ready for something different.
Difficult beginning but stick with it. - By: Lesley70, 14 May 2007 
Phedre no Delaunay is sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond purchased by Anafiel Delauney (aka The Whoremaster of Spies), who recognises that the spot of blood in her eye marks her as one who is pricked by Kushiel's Dart (she experiences pain & pleasure as one - a masochist). She's trained as a courtesan, but is also taught how to observe & analyse what she sees - the tools of a spy. As Phedre's homeland of Terre d'Ange is drawn ever closer to conflict through treachery & betrayal, it will be up to Phedre to use alll of the talents at her disposal to save what she holds dear.
For me this book has one of the worst beginnings I have ever read. The first time I read it I think it took me over thirty starts before I managed to get past the first page. If you can bear with it this is a story that is well worth reading. I have pin-pointed the spot where I was drawn into the story - page 11 where Phedre finallly stops talking about herself. And by page 343 I am totallly absorbed in the cruelty & beauty of Terre d'Ange, just in time for Jacqueline Carey to rip my heart out via my throat - metaphoricallly speaking.
I guess my main problem with the book is that I don't particularly like Phedre as a character. She has a severe case of Buffyitis only instead of 'I'm the slayer', it's 'I'm the anguisette'. Get over yourself already!
If you haven't read the book you may want to know that most of the love scenes are of a sado-masochistic nature, so if that's not your sort of thing perhaps you should give this one a miss. Though in my opinion these scenes are beautifully written & necessary to the plot.
This book has taught me that you don't need to love the protagonist in order to falll in love with the world she inhabits & the story she tells. Jacqueline Carey's worldbuilding is immaculate. Not only does she bring the myths, culture & beauty of Terre d'Ange to life. She takes us to the wild northern lands of Skaldia with a struggle for survival, & over the sea to the barbarian land of Alba & the battle for a stolen throne. This is an epic tale.
More than anything it is the characters surrounding Phedre who fascinate me - Alcuin, Delaunay, Joscelin, Melisande & Hyacinthe - & the history of the land that she is witness to & part of. Jacqueline Carey draws us into this world & makes it real, her storytelling has a depth & lushness that pulls you in (if you can just get past those first few pages).
Also available Kushiel's Chosen (book 2) & Kushiel's Avatar (book 3)
A definate grower - By: Honore, 16 Mar 2007 I have to say when i first started down the path of reading this book i found it rather hard going. The language can be rather overly elaborate. That said its still an amazing book. If taken with a pinch of salt & an open mind to the S & M you reallly grow to love the characters & enjoy watching them develop through the whole series. Phedre, who acts as narrator for the first three books isnt my favourite character Im afraid to say. The villain in the series is Melisande. Beautiful like alll inhabitants of terre D'Ange she has a bit more of an edge to her than most. The politics that are weaved into the story can be hard to follow but in a way you dont reallly need to understand them, much like Phedre herself. She is immersed in a world of intrigu but at the start her vision is blinkered by her mentor for her own protection. I know this book is not for everyone but if you can adjust to the language its definately worth your time. I've re-read the series so many times & i always find little clues or bits of the story line that i never noticed so the book is always fresh to me.
tedious - By: xenofan, 22 Aug 2006 
I brought this book, which was recommended to me by Amazon, because I've read (and love) Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy. But Kushiel's Dart is nowhere near of the same high quality as Black Jewels Trilogy.
About 250 pages into the book, & I've decided to give up. I did try. I tried so very hard, often forcing myself through two or three chapters, only to set it down out of sheer boredom & move on to something else.
Now, I've finallly realized that I'm just not getting on with this book, & with there being two (maybe three?) more to the series, I don't care to waste more time reaching the end of this first book in the series.
I love books that make me think. But this book makes me think because it is complicated & confusing. The characters have such long, impossibly sounding names, & pretty much half of them I can't say who they are, remember what significance they have to the plot or the main character, & generallly find myself feeling like I'm lost in a crowd of strangers.
The main character is oh-so far too perfect. Everyone wants to have sex with her, though there was very little description of the actual act itself. Not that that's a bad thing, but the chief solution to achieve anything seems to be "have sex!" which got old & boring fast. She feels flawed & underdeveloped, exposing no weakness - which reallly doesn't work when the book is a first person narrative.
And the writing! It's just so flowery & lengthy. Despite being about 250 pages into the book, I reallly do feel half the time like I've read about nothing happening.
I know a lot of people do like this book, but not me. It was very poor.
