In an alternate version of Europe, descendants of angels have created a unique society where their primary mandate in life is to love as thou wilt. Jacqueline Carey's writing style, while slightly wordy, is very lyrical, and the subject of sex is prominently dealt with both practically and philosophically in this society. The book follows Phedre's journey, a courtesan gifted with the ability to feel pleasure as pain, as she navigates political intrigue and her complex relationship with her protector, Joscelin.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Kushiel's Dart include explicit sexual content, BDSM, themes of consent and non-consent, as well as violence and slavery.
Has Romance?
Romantic elements are woven throughout the narrative, although the primary focus remains on the political and personal journeys of the characters.
From The Publisher:
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.
Ratings (128)
Incredible (30) | |
Loved It (43) | |
Liked It (24) | |
It Was OK (14) | |
Did Not Like (12) | |
Hated It (5) |
Reader Stats (312):
Read It (131) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (88) | |
Did Not Finish (7) | |
Not Interested (85) |
6 comment(s)
Some of the best world building I've ever encountered. I have reread this book countless times.
Sweepingly epic, sensual, romantic, erotic, and a hell of a good read. I actually bought this book 5 years ago (when I bought Harry Potter #5), and it's a shame I waited this long to finally read it. It seems like the epic books I've read recently (this, Cryptonomicon, Foucault's Pendulum) have been the best and brightest of my collection, easily outpacing everything else I pick up. It makes me want to read them all the more, now, which is great considering I have the two other books in this trilogy, as well as any number of huge and imposing books waiting in the wings.
I'm marking this book as read because I was in the middle of another book I DNFed when my mother died. So, I'm adding what I read in that book to this one and saying I'm done.
At first, I was willing to overlook the red flags. This was the first book to catch and hold my attention since my mom died. I thought maybe I could push through the squick. Unfortunately, this book has so many red flags that it's a carnival.
I was on page 360 of this when the red flags tripped me and sent me smashing into the floor proverbially.
I have great fondness for the found family trope. That was part of why I was pushing through it. My thought processes for the last hour went like this:
"...great. The found family died."
(Ten seconds later) "...it's a little creepy that the grown lord rescued this kid for his liege lord that he was in love with, trained him to be a courtesan, and then hooked up with him once the kid was of age. He raised and trained him to be a courtesan from age ten on...and became his lover when the teenager tells him he's in love with him."
(A little while later) "...oh, and the main character is *also* in love with this lord and jealous of her 'brother.' Plus, she's a sadomasochist who gets off getting hurt and has been trained since age 11 to sexually gratify people. But it's okay. He waited until she was 16 before presenting her to the public for them to forge contracts for 'service.'
"And it's totally okay that the villain in this piece humiliates her in public, is mildly annoyed when she gets SAed in public, murders her father figure that she's in love with, and then tortures/rapes her for hours to get her to spill all of her secrets. It's fine because the MC is aroused by pain..."
I swear, this had better not send me into another reading slump.
This has been on my list forever. The world building is incredible, though the pacing in the first half of the book is slow. Overall a great read, with a unique protagonist (courtesan).
Why is no one talking about this book?? Dude
This 900 page debut novel is so much more than I was expecting. Carey plots like a superstar, laying the groundwork in the first third of the book for an amazing payoff in the last third. This is a long book with many twists and turns, but she maintains the pace and tension perfectly throughout.
Phedre is unusual for a romance heroine (although I'm not convinced this falls squarely in the romance genre - I'd call it an alternate historical fantasy with strong romantic elements). The titular dart refers to a red spot in her left eye, which marks her as someone who experiences pleasure along with pain. Also, she's a courtesan. Not many masochistic prostitutes on the romance shelves, to say the least, but Carey doesn't rely on Phedre's unusual characteristics to drive the book. The phrase "That which yields is not always weak" recurs throughout the book, and this is the crux of Phedre's character. She has strength in what others see as weakness.
Epic, complex, and beautiful. Highly recommended.
What can you read after
Kushiel's Dart?
About the Author:
Jacqueline Carey is the author of the bestselling Kushiel trilogy (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar) and her epic fantasy duology, The Sundering (Banewreaker and Godslayer). She has won the Locus Award for Best First Novel and the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Her books have been listed on many booksellers' top ten fantasy books lists. Always an avid reader, Carey began writing fiction as a hobby in high school. After graduating from Lake Forest College, she worked for six months at a bookstore in London, and returned to the United States with a driving passion to write professionally. She resides in western Michigan.
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