Customer Reviews

Kushiel's Chosen (Kushiel's Legacy)

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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!

"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

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.

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.

The only thing I like more than a good book is a good LONG book. (Anyone who has read Kushiel's Dart can indulge in all the double entendres they like). It is hard to classify Ms. Carey's D'Angeline world -- fantasy is perhaps the closest; it is an alternate universe but very like our own. She has subtly twisted cultures, countries, languages, history and religions so they are just similar enough to our own to be comfortably familiar, but different enough to fire the imagination. For example, the Yeshuites who play such a prominent role in this novel are clearly a speculation of what might have occurred if Christ had been officially accepted by Judiasm as the Messiah. But there are also elements of adventure and historical romance and, of course, dollops of titillating soft-core sex.

Her characters are complex, likable and engaging and the plot is full of surprises. I was able to predict some of what was to come, but that's not unusual when one already knows a third book is in progress. I could live without some of the language affectations -- "Of a surety" and "Twas" got on my nerves after a while, but only a little.

Carey's lays on too thickly her insistence that Phedre's beauty alone enthrall everyone she meets. Certainly I have known that sex can make people stupid (the old "Men have 2 brains, but only enough blood to run one at a time"), but there is a limit. Also, Phedre's weakness for Melisande just does not ring true, when all is said and done.

These flaws did not change at all the fact that this book was a blast, far better than Kushiel's Dart, and leaves me eagerly awaiting the next book, and anything else Jacqueline Carey publishes.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I'm not going to argue with their right to state it. However, I have to admit, I don't get what the problem is here. People calling this "more of the same"...well, that statement isn't wholly accurate. Yes, it's true, the basic premise and pattern of this novel is the same as the first. Which, quite frankly, I don't mind in the least, since I enjoy this sort of thing. Now, that's not to say that if this was the fourth book, or the fifth or the sixth, I wouldn't be rather irritated. But it's only the second and at this point "redundant" is a bit too strong a word.
Chosen moves throughout a large portion of the fascinating world that Carey has created. On the surface it may seem like the same as the first, but this one deals much more in Phedre's relationships than the last one, and also highlights more effectively our heroines flaws.

People have said that Phedre is too perfect, that she resolves everything by sleeping with everyone, and so on. However, that's really thinking on the surface. Phedre is far from perfect; she's actually a bit too trusting and naive. She blunders into things she really never should have.
Nor does she solve everything--or even anything--by sleeping with someone. Whether it be gold or glory, the people with whom Phedre makes her deals ALWAYS have something to win out of it. She is merely a bonus, not the main prize. Again, the world has narrowed down to Phedre's vision, so it's easy for people to lose track of the fact that the world continues to revolve--and not just around the heroine.

The same goes for her relationship with Joscelin. We only see Phedre's side of the resolution, not what goes on in his mind. Personally, however, I liked the way Carey resolved it. Phedre is who she is and she makes no apologies for it. She knows it hurts the people she loves, but she won't change it. Why should she have to?
In reality, this is merely a role reversal that some people seem to miss. How many fantasy stories--generally written by male authors, unfortunately--have this sort of relationship? A flawed man, who is what he is, who won't change it, and so...the heroine, who loves him so, just accepts him for who he is! After she's gone, possibly dead, in Joscelin's mind, he realizes he loves her for who she is. It's a mark of his character growth, that he accepts himself, her, and their relationship.

Honestly, reading the editorial reviews puzzles me. One reviewer says the writing isn't as tight as the first one...huh??? The writing in Chosen is so much smoother than Dart. Phedre hardly ever rambles about something pointless and useless. The pacing works better, moving quickly into the story, rather than dwelling on this, that, and the other thing.
Another such reviewer complains that Melisande has become a tiresome harridan. Again...huh??? You hardly even see her in Chosen! Of the 600 some odd pages, she appears in MAYBE 50. She was far more tiresome in Dart. I was much happier that she was hardly in this novel.

Carey's characters have become richer, as well. I adored Phedre's Boys and Kazan. They had so much life to them and, seeing through Phedre's eyes, you got a real sense of her fondness for them.
And personally I loved the little trip to Hellene. As someone who has studied the history of ancient art, Greek included (and there for much ancient history, period) it was fun to recognize so many of the things I'd learned of. For those that don't know, Kore does mean 'maiden'. Notable from the Peplos Kore, a work of sculpture from ancient Greece, of a young woman wearing a Peplos (the type of gown the pirates give Phedre to wear). Easy to see that Ms. Carey has done more than her fair share of studying.

Still with the cheapo ink, though. At least Tor seems to have provided the poor woman with a proofreader this time.

When I first saw 'Chosen' at the bookstore I absolutely had to have the book. I couldn't wait to continue on with Phedre's adventures, and I was rewarded in that respect.

As one who lives in Italy, I felt that Carey's descriptions of Phedre's Venice were perfect. I could just imagine myself up inside a religiously renovated San Marco's Cathedral, and walked with Phedre down the marbled corridors just outside of the Doge's Palace, and toured the Square with her. I'm sure that Phedre would have identified with Cassonova's Bridge of Sighs, had it been there.

The prose used to bring forth Carey's visuals was just as sumptuous and sensuous as Phedre's romps in the sack. However, along with many other reviewers, I had the feeling that Carey just got lost somewhere. Did she tire of Venice? Is that why we suddenly had to be plunged in with the Albanians and Greeks? The insertions of these characters, and the absolute length of their portions in the story was a bit ridiculous. Unless, of course, later on in the series they'll help Phedre in her search for freeing Hyacinthe. Then I may be able to buy it.

Overall ... a good book. I hesitate over using the word great, for it was not nearly as fabulous as Kushiel's Dart. But then again, sophmore books have the stigma of being flat, so I am eagerly awaiting book three, which will hopefully bring back a little of the magic from book one.

Based on the reviews, I expected to be terribly disappointed with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. While not as stunning as the first novel, it was extremely interesting and entertaining. My only disappointment was in the simplistic and unexplained resolution of Phedre's and Joscelin's relationship. I am looking forward to the next book.

If you liked Kushiel's Dart, you'll probably enjoy this sequel. The idea no longer seems as fresh, and the sensuality is definately toned down. The book is still worth reading, but it could have been done much better.

The plot follows the pattern of the first book. Phedre returns to the life of a courtesan and becomes popular and sought after. She then departs on a secret mission to expose a traitor to the throne, visits faraway lands under stressful circumstances, has adventures including several imprisonments and a sea voyage, and saves the country and her queen. Sound familiar?

I had several problems with the story. First, Phedre's return to her former occupation seems pointless. There's only one patron that she learns things from that she couldn't get from common gossip. My favorite character, Jocelin, is constantly disappearing for badly explained reasons. He's supposedly exploring his faith, but it seems like a device to remove him whenever it would be more interesting for Phedre to be in danger. And at the end of the story Jocelin goes through a poorly justified character transformation. The main conflicts seem like rehashed versions of the problems from the first book Phedre and Jocelin try to figure out their relationship. Phedre agonzies over her attraction to Melissande. Phedre feels guilty when people die protecting her. It's all stuff we've read before.

There is adventure and danger and suspense, and the story's not bad. It just doesn't feel as satisfying as the first book because I was expecting so much more.