Product Description
Mighty Kushiel, of rod and weal
Late of the brazen portals
With blood-tipp’d dart a wound unhealed
Pricks the eyen of chosen mortals
The land of Terre d’Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.
Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by a nobleman, the first to recognize that she is one pricked by Kushiel’s Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. He trained Phèdre in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber–and, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze.
When she stumbled upon a plot that threatened the very foundations of her homeland, she gave up almost everything she held dear to save it. She survived, and lived to have others tell her story, and if they embellished the tale with fabric of mythical splendor, they weren’t far off the mark.
The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre’s brow, and they are not finished with her. While the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe another should wear the crown… and those who escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with their schemes for power and revenge.
Amazon.com Review
In this engrossing adult fantasy tale, the fascinating Phèdre nó Delaunay fights to save her queen and country in a battle whose greatest weapon proves to be Phèdre herself. This sequel to Carey’s accomplished debut novel, Kushiel’s Dart, finds Phèdre, now Comtesse de Montrève, once again plying her skills as an anguissette–a courtesan for whom pain becomes pleasure–and her talents as a spy. She uncovers a conspiracy of treason and murder and begins an adventure that takes her once more to distant lands in the company of an intriguing cast of characters–and a new confrontation with her old enemy, Melisande Shahrizai.
There’s some evidence of haste in this novel: the writing is not always as tight and controlled as it was in Kushiel’s Dart. Nevertheless, Carey’s fans will certainly enjoy this return to Terre d’Ange, and those new to her work will find a satisfying combination of fantasy, sex, and adventure, as well as a smart and engaging heroine. –Roz Genessee
Anonymous @ 4:51 pm
In Kushiel’s Chosen, Jacqueline Carey has written a phenomenal successor to Kushiel’s Dart. The novel picks up where Kushiel’s Dart ends and takes the beautiful, bull-headed, intelligent, vain, patriotic and conflicted heroine, Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève, on further adventures to distant, fascinating lands. It begins with a well-executed mystery (where is the captivating Melisande hiding?) and progresses through a wild series of misadventures into a thoughtful story about the consequences of one’s actions and the act of redemption. In between, we find ourselves caught up once again in the tumultuous relationship between Phèdre and Joscelin. Stubborn courage and their love for each other are the only things they have in common. Can such opposites remain together? Once again, Carey’s characters are complex and deal with issues that we can reflect on in ourselves. Another strength of both books is the artful way that Carey has of creating complex, believable religions. Kushiel’s Chosen is a fitting sequel to Carey’s first brilliant novel.
Rodney Powell @ 4:56 pm
Jacueline Carey has done something few writers can attest to:
She wrote a sequel that is just as good as it’s predecessor!Carey returns us to the kingdom of Terre D’ange, the land of holy prostitution and lethal intrigue.Kushiel’s Chosen leads off where the first book ends, with the mysterious escape of archvillianess, Melisandre.Phedre, our heroine is determined to find out the traitors who helped Melisandre escape from prison and when she gets cloak sent by her enemy as a challenge she takes it upon herself to find Melisandre. Phedre’s obession with her enemy will pull her back into her holy order and it will strain her relationship with her lover, Joscelin.Phedre’s adventure will take her sun-drenched villas of La Serenissima
where she will uncover Melisandre’s sinsiter conspiracy to gain the crown and a deadly assasination plot against queen Ysandre!
This novel has all of the ingredients that made the first one such a smash hit: lyrical prose that sings upon the page; outstanding world-building that makes Phedre’s world come alive
sweeping action sequences like daring escape upon island prison that holds our heroine and unforgettable swashbuckling swordfight between Joscelin Queen Ysandre’s would be assasin! The characters of this epic novel are also a wonder like blood-cursed pirate Kazan Atrabiades who rescues Phedre and helps her at her cause.I love Phedre and her world of dark desire, darker intrigue and swashbuckling adventure! Bring on Kushiel’s Avatar!
Jana L. Perskie @ 6:32 pm
“Kushiel’s Chosen” is the second book in Jacqueline Carey’s thrilling fantasy trilogy of life in a world similar to Earth, during a period reminiscent of our Renaissance. This novel, a fantastic romantic adventure, is every bit as exciting as her first book, “Kushiel’s Dart.”
Our heroine, Phedre no Delauney, is now Comtesse de Montreve, a peer of Terre d’Ange. This lash-loving lady has come a long way from the little girl who was sold by her parents, years before, into the service of Naamah, the honored profession of the courtesan. Phedre was kissed by the god Kushiel. There is a tiny crimson mote in the white of her left eye, (Kushiel’s Dart), marking her as an “anguisette,” one of Kushiel’s Chosen. A true “anguisette” is extremely rare. They are born to find pleasure in pain.
Phedre played a major part in ending the violent war that threatened to destroy her country. The new Queen of Terre D’Ange, who Phedre pledged to serve and protect, has been crowned. However, those who would wrest the throne for themselves continue to plot treachery and renewed violence. Chief among the traitors is Melisande Shahrizai, Phedre’s nemesis and patron of old. Melisande announces her continued presence in the world of intrigue by beginning a game of cat and mouse with Phedre, who comes out of retirement to thwart plans to harm the Queen. Her return to Court, the City of Elua, and her profession as a spy, threaten her star-crossed relationship with her beloved companion and bodyguard, the Cassiline apostate, Joscelin Verreuil.
The plot and subplots are unique and stunning. The excitement just doesn’t stop. Ms. Carey combines eroticism with swashbuckling adventure, romance and world building. Her imaginative use of historic detail, diverse cultures, the creation of many varied characters and their development, make this series so special. A riveting novel – I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended!
JANA
Kelly L. (www.FantasyLiterature.com) @ 7:09 pm
Jacqueline Carey returns to the lush and decadent world of Terre d’Ange in “Kushiel’s Chosen”, sequel to the strange but beautiful “Kushiel’s Dart”, and produces a sequel that unfortunately doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor.
Our masochistic heroine, Phedre, leaves behind her comfortable new life as a country countess when she begins to suspect that all is not well in Terre d’Ange. She believes that Melisande Shahrizai, from her hiding place in La Serenessima (Venice), still plots against Queen Ysandre–with the help of at least one D’Angeline noble. But who is her co-conspirator, and what are they planning? Phedre returns to prostitution in the hopes of finding clues, but doesn’t accomplish much except driving away her bodyguard-lover Joscelin. Phedre decides there is only one thing to do–travel to La Serenissima and investigate there. In Italy, Phedre uncovers the conspiracy–but disaster strikes and she finds herself lost at sea and entangled with pirates. Now, Phedre’s task is to get back to La Serenissima in time to save Ysandre. Along the way, she begins to realize that maybe being marked by the angel of punishment means more than having weird sexual proclivities.
While “Chosen” is a decent book, it fails to engage the reader in the way that “Dart” did. I think my essential problem lies with the middle section of the book–the pirate part. Maybe it’s because Phedre’s skills are espionage and seduction, not sailing and fighting, so she doesn’t do much during this period of time except sit around and feel guilty whenever someone dies. Maybe it’s because this sequence doesn’t seem to advance the main plot any (except maybe that Phedre’s absence makes Joscelin think about his feelings). It almost feels like Carey wrote the beginning and ending of the book, then said, “Oh no…I unraveled the conspiracy too quickly and now I need 300 more pages.”
This isn’t a bad book; it’s a faster read than “Dart”, though it never attains the heartbreaking power or the sensuality of the previous novel. I still plan to read the third.
Lauren @ 9:46 pm
When I finally got my hands on this book, and then had the chance to read it (exams…so annoying!), I was completely enraptured and finished it in under two days. I loved the first novel as I thought Jaqueline Carey’s writing style was beautiful and her world was intriguing and incredibly interesting. I feel that Kushiel’s Chosen lives up to its predecsor, and in some ways it surpassed it, and of course in others it did not.
I did miss the characters which had featured prominantly in the first, namely Delaunay and Alcuin, but then they’re dead so this is a stupid gripe. The prose was just as good as the first, I never found it too repetative, but everyone has their own opinions. The story was perhaps a tad slow to get going, but I think that that only added to the depth of the story, and was a good introduction to the fast paced adventure which faced Phedre.
I really enjoyed the movement of the book the travelling was wonderful, and made it all the more exotic. The complex plot was very good and keeps the reader on their toes, a very important commodity for novels these days. Especially in the fantasy genre, which is steadily becoming more and more formulated. Its a rare thing to find wonderful new authors which are creative and raise it all to a new level. For further recommendations, go the SF site, which has excellent reviews. my main happiness in this novel was Phedre and Josclin finally sorting out their issues and being together properly. But then I am a complete romantic sap at heart.
So overall, if you are looking for a good strong read, with vivid characters, intricate plotting and exotic settings, then look no further than this novel. It is advised that you should read the first of the trilogy, Kushiel’s Dart, but there are references to keep you going if you do forget at times what happened. There is strong sexuality and sensuality in this novel, although I think it is a lesser extent than the first. Carey treats it all with lyrical prose and never makes anything seem like [bad] porn. It is part of Phedre, and only enhances her tale. Give this novel a go, you cannot go wrong.