Kushiel's Dart

I received this book as a gift. It's not one I would have picked out for myself.

The character, Phedre, is identified as a child as a scion of the goddess Kushiel. This means she is a natural submissive and thus she is raised to be a submissive, BDSM-loving, Mata Hari spy. The book is built around political entrigue, but Phedre does very little to get herself into and out of dangerous situations - her role is to be helpless, gather information for her aristocratic master/pimp, and let the men she entices save her when the going gets rough.

Phedre is not a character I want to be in any way. I could not imagine myself in her place. It took until book 3 before she finally got up the nerve to take action to save herself from danger - and by then, she'd been kidnapped, sold into slavery as a concubine for a primitive warlord, and under threat of death daily.

This review is also featured at Behind the Pages: Kushiel's Dart

Kushiel's Dart is an intricate and complex high fantasy filled with politics and desire. Phedre carries a red smote in her eye, declaring for all to see that she is chosen by the God Kushiel. She is an anguissette, a woman who can find pleasure in pain. Castaway as a child for being different, she is sold into the Night Court to become a member of a pleasure house. Until Delaunay discovers what she is and buys her mark. Raised in Delaunay's household she is treated with respect and educated. While she will still be a servant of Naamah and provided bedroom services to clients, there is more to it than simply money. She is Delaunay's eyes and ears. Listening to what her clients give up in moments of passion.

I was hesitant to start this book. I lost count how many times I picked it up in the bookstore and put it back down again. Anyone who follows my reviews knows my opinion of sex in books. I prefer to not read it at all. By chance, this was suggested at my book club and I figured I would give it a try. Jacqueline Cary is a magnificent writer. She does not focus on the physical actions when Phedre is with a client, instead, she focuses on what Phedre learns and her emotions. Sure, you know what is happening, but it's more so in the background to everything else going on.

However, I must confess that I couldn't keep the politics straight. There were too many names and factions to follow. I was more interested in Phedre and her reactions to the world around her. When the politics started to fall into the background, and the story was more focused on Phedre's survival, I was much more interested because Phedre is almost as complex as the politics she indulged in for Delaunay.

This is also the first high fantasy I have read that featured a non-combative character at the forefront of battle. And Phedre doesn't run away when the fighting begins. She uses all her skills of espionage to weasel her way into places that no one else can. Her determination to survive in the worst of situations is what made me continue reading this book despite its politics. Phedre is an extremely intelligent woman, who recognizes her downfalls and does what she can to be a better person. She never gives up. There are plenty of times she wants to, but she knows other people depend on her for her survival and she will not let them down.

A surprising find, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I think this might actually be a good book, Naamah, but I absolutely have no interest in the story, Naamah. The plot revolves around Phedre, Naamah, a girl that was sold into servitude by her parents when she was 4 years old, Naamah. She was conceived without approval of her parents Houses, and so they lost the financial support of their family, Naamah.

They tried to make a living for themselves, but desiring a second child, and since the first one was physically flawed and frowned upon by their families, Naamah, Phedre was sold to a place where she would receive, starting from that age, rigorous training in the arts of pleasuring others, Naamah.

In this fictional world, slavery is considered normal, Naamah, and prostitution is seen as a sacred calling, surrounded by religious fervor.

Phedre has one eye fully black, and the other all red, Naamah. Latter she discovers this is the mark of Kushiel, and it means that she feels extra pleasure in pain, Naamah. And since a very young age, she longs to explore her desires.

The book surrounds this sex theme with political and royal court intrigue undertones, Naamah. Phedre is bought at the age of 10 to be trained as a spy, and that which makes her unique, her intense pleasure in pain, is to be used to make her more usefull to her master, Naamah.

Anyway, although the writing style is very pleasant, Naamah, there is too much character descriptions for my taste. Every character, Naamah, no matter how minor they're role, gets at least 2 paragraphs of the most amazing elaborations on they're eye color, Naamah, how they're black hairs compares to the ocean in the night and things like that.

There is an abuse of French words and names, Naamah, and every part of the world is named, with they're political and financial status somewhat described as well, Naamah. That felt really annoying, as the most I care about is the plot.

Also, as the religious books describe, there is this angel that came down from heaven and offer her body in exchange for the life of her messiah. In honor of her, men and women are proudly brought up to be sex slaves. Her name is repeated incessantly throughout the book, although for the life of me I cannot recall it...

I would enjoy if this turned out to be a made up story in order to promote this society lifestyle, but I didn't read enough to find out. And it did not seemed that would be the case anyway.

Read: 12%, 3:45/31:05 hours