Customer Reviews

Kushiel's Avatar

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was expecting to be disappointed from the reviews on here and from the ho-hum 2nd book in the series. I wasn't.

Carey put in all the usual convoluted plot twists, family and political intrigue, strange events, unpronounceable names and excessive traveling to new lands. The main difference is that 10 years have passed since we last knew everyone and that time has been good. All the characters have matured and their personalities have deepened. Phedre is a woman, not a girl playing spy games and I find her even more appealing than in the other two books. Joscelin is a much more relaxed man, secure in himself and their love together. Melisande even has her claws cut a bit and becomes much more human (she now has a HUGE weak-spot).

The plot starts off simply but becomes tangled and the travelers become very sidetracked, as always. This time, their adventures become extremely dark for about 1/3 of the book. Joscelin and Phedre are tested to the core of their beings and their love. I found this section of the story very moving. Phedre begins to feel the presence of her gods and this drives a lot of the rest of the story. She finds out the truth of her nature, more than she ever wanted too. (She also gets the chance to save the world, essentially, but that's almost a footnote.)

The whole book is about faith and love-losing it and finding it, both within and without oneself. Above all, it is about love itself, in all its forms and powers. Love can be a weapon and a healer, it can save and it can curse, it can kill and bring life. Phedre's journey through her spiritual awakening is much deeper than I expected for this series. On the whole, I found it to be a very moving book and deeply religious (in the various religions of the land.)

For the book itself, it is much better than the second book. They are faced with the real world more than simply backstabbing court politics (like the second book). There are a few explicit sex scenes between her and Joscelin thrown in (only one integral to the plot). Her abilities as an anguissette are used only for one part of this book, sexually speaking (it saves her life and the lives of others). Part of her journey is discovering that bearing pain can take many forms and not just for the pleasure of others or herself. She also begins to find purpose in the fact that she was god-chosen and that it wasn't just a random event. All the political intrigue seems to wear on her and after her experiences she feels it's all rather shallow. I have a feeling she'll be less immersed in court politics when this is done.

This book is the same as the other two on the surface, but the deep thread running through the book is about the larger questions of humanity and Carey does a good job of letting Phedre figure out her own answers. I think it was a fitting ending to the series. We have watched a girl grow into a complete woman.

I don't want to discuss too much of the plot -- there would be too many spoilers -- but Carey does a very thorough job of wrapping up all the loose ends leftover from her middle novel "Kushiel's Chosen"... Phedre's quest to free Hyacinthe and its links to the One God, the whereabouts of Melisande's son Imriel, the mysterious bronze edge of power in Phedre's voice... She answers all the questions we were left with before.

At times the book is a touch melodramatic, and there are definitely a few slow spots, but if you enjoyed "Kushiel's Dart" and "Kushiel's Chosen," I highly recommend the final book in this trilogy. (If you haven't read either of the first two books, I recommend you start with those, because you won't be nearly as caught up in the characters' histories without them). For those people who complained about "Kushiel's Chosen," don't worry -- the scope of the novel definitely extends beyond a Phedre-Melisande contest of wills (taking us to new countries and introducing the power of new gods, no less), Phedre grows as a character (much better than she was in "K's Chosen," though I still liked her best in "K's Dart"), and the ending is satisfying (if slightly bittersweet).

Despite the few flaws I mentioned earlier, I thought this book was worth the wait... You know a novel is good when you finish it and find yourself wishing the series wasn't over! Anyone know if Carey is planning to write more novels set in Terra D'Ange?

"Kushiel's Avatar," is the last book in Jacqueline Carey's dramatic trilogy of life in a world similar to Earth, during a period reminiscent of our Renaissance. This fantastic romantic adventure is every bit as exciting as Ms. Carey's first two books, "Kushiel's Dart" and "Kushiel's Chosen," and a very worthy conclusion. (Although there are still some loopholes left - tiny ones, but just enough room for another book to slip through. Always hoping)!

Ten years have past since we last saw our lash-loving lady, the true "anguisette," Phedre no Delauney, Comtesse de Montreve, peer of Terre d'Ange. She and her beloved companion, the Cassiline apostate, Joscelin Verreuil have been residing on their estates and maturing with grace and beauty. But neither is able to forget the fate of Phedre's childhood friend Hyacinthe and the terrible sacrifice he made in order that a queen be crowned and peace reign. Nothing less than discovering the most secret and holy name of the "One God" will do to free him - an almost impossible task to accomplish which will involve traveling over continents and seas, in what I believe is the most awesome adventure of them all! Then Melisande Shahrizai, Phedre's nemesis and patron of old, surfaces and begs a boon - I won't even go there. You'll have to read the book.

The adventures of Phedre and friends are every bit as breathtaking, if not more so, than those in preceding books. Ms. Carey has explored various religions and forms of spirituality in her other novels - religions resembling Christianity and Judaism, and others where gods and demigods are worshipped, similar to those of ancient Greece and Rome. In this, the last part of the trilogy, the author pulls all her characters and their adventures together to show a bigger pattern and spiritual purpose. In other words, there is an author's message. These folks are not just hanging out to have fun while risking life and limb...and lash! Phedre discovers that her service to Kushiel has served a much higher cause than she ever thought possible, and has been integrated into the service of all whom she has served. Ms. Carey gives additional depth and dimension to her characters and story with this last touch. A terrific conclusion to a superb epic fantasy!
JANA

After reading the first book in this series -- KUSHIEL'S DART, which was incredible -- I wondered if Ms. Carey could keep her stories interesting and her characters growing. My estimation of the trilogy fell a little with KUSHIEL'S CHOSEN -- less exciting than the first but still an involving story -- but KUSHIEL'S AVATAR more than proves that Jaqueline Carey is a master.

Set a decade after the end of KUSHIEL'S CHOSEN, the book starts off strong with a mysterious letter from Phedre's down-but-never-out adversary, the beautiful and deadly Melisande, quiet in exile these ten years. The adventure begins immediately and doesn't end until the last page, with Phedre on a dangerous double quest: to locate a missing person whose very existence threatens Terre d'Ange, and to find a way to set her childhood best friend free of the geis that will otherwise bind him for eternity.

AVATAR has all the adventure, eroticism, intrigues, and creative twists of DART, with none of CHOSEN's slowness. Joscelin and Phedre have both matured immensely, and the relationship between them is well-drawn and plays almost painfully into the plot. Melisande spends less time as a major player, but her shadow is everywhere, lending the story another layer of mystery. There is also a delightful new character on the scene, whose inclusion adds new depth to Phedre and Joscelin, and who helps to bring the cycle to a satisfactory -- indeed excellent -- close. The only drawback is that there are no more Phedre novels!

Of all of the books in the Kushiel's Dart series, this one is definitely the darkest. Phedre's travels take her into territories unknown to her geographically, as well as into the deepest chasms of her soul. Phedra must face the darkest parts of herself in order to fulfill promises not only to Hyacinth, her most beloved friend, but to the traitorous Millisande. It is a story of loyalty and honor as well as of redemption.

What was particularly intriguing about this story was the comparison between Phedre's reluctant acceptance of who and what she is with Imriel's (Millisande's son) ignorance (and later defiance) of his heritage. If Jacqueline Carey chooses to write another Terre D'Ange story, I do hope that it follows Imriel's path and the long road he (no doubt) will have to take in accepting who and what he is.

Overall, this story should be pleasing to anyone who has read the previous books in the Kushiel's Dart series. However, there are times where the story seems to drag, as Phedre and her party stop in and greet everyone she has met both in this book and the previous two (tying up loose ends, I suppose). Carey spends some needless time on characters that do not truly deserve it (and often are simply forgettable). And there are times when readers will probably say "Yes, yes... we know Phedre carries this heavy burden so lets just get on with it already!" But the story itself is beautiful in it's own way, though it does not compare to the first two (hence the 4 star rating rather than 5).

Enjoy.

"Anguisette" Comtesse Phedre has for the most part over the past decade lived in domestic tranquillity with her loyal swordsman Joscelin though she also meets the demands of her demi-gods to feel pain when making love by annually taking on a few "lovers". However, her former lover and rival, Melisande, imprisoned in a temple for an unsuccessful coup, asks Phedre for help. Melisande's son, Imriel vanished. If Phèdre rescues Imriel, Melisande will provide the location of the lost tribe of Dan, whose elders reportedly know the hidden Name.

Phèdre and Joscelin quickly learn that slavers heading south abducted Imriel. They follow the trail to the Pharaoh of Menekhet who informs them that the lad was taken to the nightmarish Drujan, headed by The Conqueror of Death and bloody priests who kill, seemingly by magic, for any slight. Imriel is the sacrifice that authenticates the Conqueror's dominance. Phèdre knows she needs to get inside so she arranges for Joscelin to sell her to the Conqueror of Death as a sex slave.

The latest Kushiel tale is fantasy at its most powerfully visual best. The story line is colorful as the audience journeys with the heroine on her trek to what is the equivalent of Africa. The lead protagonists as expected are complete individuals so that fans understand their motives and how each interacts with others in adventurous scenarios while the secondary characters appear so authentic that the depth of the plot is as deep as a tale seemingly can become. Though better if read after the first two novels, KUSHIEL'S AVATAR could stand-alone to the delight of an appreciative genre.

Harriet Klausner

Jacqueline Carey has cemented her place among fantasy fans with her Kushiel trilogy. Phedre no Delaunay, her heroine, is a courtesan with a strange mark--a blood-red mote in her eye, "Kushiel's dart," a sign that she is one for whom "pleasure and pain are intertwined." Well, "Kushiel's Avatar" takes Phedre's taste for pain and the intrigues that surround her and sets up a finish to one of the most interesting works the genre has seen in a decade.

Phedre has two matters on her mind: Melisande de la Courcel (formerly Shahrizai), in exile for attempting to overthrow Queen Ysandre of Terre d'Ange; and her friend Hyacinthe, doomed to a lonely existence as Master of the Straits unless Phedre can do the impossible and find the Name of God. Daunting as it is, Phedre has searched for years. When Melisande's young son Imriel (the son of the treacherous prince Benedicte de la Courcel) goes missing, Phedre goes off to find him--and her twin missions, for Imriel and Hyacinthe, take her into dark, hidden lands and lethal secrets.

If that sounds like the worst of all fantasy cliches, then rest assured: Carey pulls it off. Weaving a truly scary group of people in with a retelling of the Solomon and Sheba legend, she takes Phedre from the figurative depths of Hell as "Death's Whore" to the equally figurative throne of God. None of this would be as enthralling as it is if Carey wasn't able to make the reader believe wholeheartedly in her characters. Scenes that, in the hands of lesser writers, would smack of "supercharacters" and McGuffins, are revelatory in Carey's hands.

If for nothing else, Carey should be commended for introducing a new kind of evil creature: the nightmarish sorcerors of Drujan whose shadows bring death. But she not only creates images of great beauty and horror, she lavishes care on her characters' relationships, their hates and their loves--and nothing exemplifies this more than the romance between Phedre and her Cassiline consort, Joscelin Verreuil. Joscelin's oath to Phedre undergoes a test that, frankly, anyone would be expected to fail; likewise Phedre's ordeal at the hands of a man considered to be Death himself is an experience full of transformation and anguish. Carey treats this with compassion and only a little saccharine. As for Melisande and Hyacinthe, the only two who have a hold on Phedre that can equal Joscelin's, they too emerge at the end of the adventure fundamentally changed. Melisande becomes, if not softer, then certainly more human and complex--and, in the end, a tragic figure; Hyacinthe is not quite tragic, but still placed somewhat beyond the simple existence and successes he once dreamed of for himself.

I heartily recommend this novel and its predecessors. "Kushiel's Legacy" is a fine series, and an excellent example of what a writer can do when he or she decides to take an unorthodox character down the usual Hero's Journey. I'm looking forward to her Imriel trilogy, and I daresay I'll probably buy any book she writes in the future.

Fans of this series will be happy to know that Carey's writing chops are still there. She can write descriptive prose with the best of them. She understands pacing and never lets the pace drag, despite the length of the novel. Anyone expecting the tautly plotted political intrigue of the first two books in this series will be surprised, however.

Sure, there's some of that going on. What would a Carey book be without it? But this book is about a journey Phedre and Joscelin take, both physically and spiritually. We see more growth in their characters and their relationship in this installment than in the previous two put together. We see Phedre given the choice to be free of her anguisette nature forever, but at a terrible cost. We see her at the mercy of an abuser even more brutal and amoral than Melisande, who degrades her so thoroughly that she is reduced to begging for more torture and loathes her own nature in a way she never has. We also see her exalted and empowered. We see her bereft of everything she loves, but finally gifted with more than she ever dared to hope for.

There is no question that Phedre is one of the most complex characters in modern fantasy. Her bizarre nature may occlude her nobility to some, but for those who perceive that she embodies loyalty, self-sacrifice, and love, she stands as one of the truly great creations in the genre. I cannot recommend this book, and indeed this series, in sufficiently strong terms. Buy this book, but read the other two first.

The final book of the Kushiel trilogy is simply stunning. It is also far more difficult to read than its predecessors. There were times when I had to put it down and come back to it because the sadism was too intense, whereas I read the first two in three sittings each. But it was too compelling to abandon. The emotional resonance of the story is amazing, light-years beyond "Dart" and "Chosen," and the plotting is magnificent. I cried several times. I don't know what more I can say about the book in general except that it is a more than fitting finale to an amazing trilogy.

That said, for me the sadism of the episode in the Mahrkagir's palace would have been irredeemable if it were not for what followed. There were references throughout the first two books to Jewish culture and folklore (the Book of Raziel, the "khai" pendants, the culturally "Jewish" Yeshuites who are religiously Christian (Why, Ms. Carey? Why?) etc.) but I did not expect the sudden and and heartrendingly beautiful welling of Jewish mysticism in the finale. Carey's use of the concept of the Name of God was a breathtaking departure from the expected, and while I am ideologically troubled by its juxtaposition with sado-masochism, prostitution and paganism, my emotional side was satisfied, delighted and swept away. The talent and depth of knowledge that must have been required to pull it off leaves me nearly speechless.

The author explores the intricacies of human relationships while introducing the reader to the lyrical world of the almost-past. The story is enriched with political intrigue and diverse topography of the ancient world. The main character Phedre again plumbs the depths of human love and cruelty, this time in a search for freedom for her childhood friend. A stunning culmination of the series!