Kushiel's Dart

This is a tough one to review. I had this one on my wishlist for quite some time before I finally decided on getting a copy. Then quite some time passed before I picked it off my to-read-shelf. I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. Adult Fantasy. It sounded to me appealing in some way but on the other hand I was afraid of some Romance story set before a fantasy background. Sporting 928 pages was another thing that made me reluctant to begin.

I must confess though when I opened the book and began the first pages I was immediately hooked. The style of the narrator is very intriguing. Being the memoir of a courtesan in an alternative medieval Europe something about the way the words were chosen and the way the story was told rang true. I don't consider it an easy task to bring such a world alive through a first person narrator, but the author did a remarkable job (This being a debut novel!)

The first part of the story that described the training of the protagonist - Phèdre - and her coming of age in this world of intrigue was highly entertaining. I am not a big fan of foreshadowing telling, but it suited the character. Next Phèdre's world is torn apart and she has to get herself out of a dark destiny bestowed upon her. And here came the point - roughly in the middle - I got somehow bored with the book. I was halfway through yet I wasn't able to go on reading. I can't really pinpoint exactly what it was that evoked the boredom, but I put the book down for several weeks. When I got back to it I was strangely enough hooked again and finished the book in 3 days.

Having finished it this afternoon I am still not sure what to make of it. This I know. It is very vivid in description. I liked the style. I liked the way the author brings her vision of this world alive and makes it realistic. I was amazed by the way the action was told. I even liked the foreshadowing and repetitions. I am impressed by the details the author created: The lore, the poems, the history. It is definitely an intense vision in its own voice. But something keeps me from giving this a straight 5. So for lack of a more refined rating choice I give a solid 4.5 stars. Not sure though if I will pick up the succeeding book. I have the feeling this is one of the books I need to ‘digest' before I can make a definite judgement.

Recommended to people who enjoy well-crafted and unique fantasy worlds, the game of thrones and don't mind a foreshadowing, gloomy narrator with highly self-destructive tendencies.