Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey – Review

Published: June 23, 2001

Publisher: Tor Books

Series: Phèdre’s Trilogy #1

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 929 (Kindle)

My Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:
The land of Terre d’Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good… and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission… and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel’s Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair… and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel’s Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.

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I fully expected to enjoy this book, but I was not prepared for just how much I actually loved it. Political fantasy stories are my favorite, especially if they happen to be blended with tons of feeling and a wonderfully written cast of characters.

The story is told from the perspective of Phèdre nó Delaunay, a young woman who was brought up in the Night Court, the house of highly trained courtesans serving the goddess Naamah. Phèdre bears Kushiel’s Dart, a mote of red in her eye, marking her out as the only anguissette to have been born in generations. Anafiel Delaunay recognizes the allure and value in this and purchases her marque and trains her to be a political spy because nobles tend to let things slip in the bedroom. Delaunay’s motives are his own, but it’s made obvious he’s trying to fulfill an oath he made long ago.

What plays out is a brilliant and heart wrenching epic that totally blew me away. Phèdre’s journey was long and full of hardship but it was not without its bright spots, full of small joys. The supporting cast of characters was equally well written and given their own rich histories. Joscelin Verreuil, Phèdre’s sworn bodyguard tries with all his might to uphold his vows, but they are tested at every turn and he’s forced on this awful journey along with his charge. Seeing the two grow to rely on each other after a rocky and judgemental start to their relationship was very satisfying. Hyacinthe, Phèdre’s dearest childhood friend makes important and notable appearances throughout the story as well and is given his own detailed story woven in amongst the overarching plot. 

This was an incredible story and I now understand why I’ve seen it praised so highly among fantasy and romance readers alike. Kushiel’s Dart is only the beginning of Phèdre’s story, but you could easily read it as a standalone because the ending was satisfying and wrapped up things quite nicely. I, of course, will be continuing on with this series at some point (hopefully) in the near future. These are long books and quite dense, but this first installment was easy to lose myself in though it did take me about 10 days to complete it, so they do require some dedication of one’s time. Overall, this was an excellent reading experience with beautiful worldbuilding, a cast of characters that were easy to love and hate, and left me wanting more of Phèdre’s story and that of Terre D’Ange as a whole.