Kushiel's Avatar (Kushiel's Legacy) (edition 2004)

One thing I didn't like about this book was just feeling like I knew what was coming next. There were hardly any surprises except at the beginning when the plot was being set up. A couple hundred pages into the book, I felt like I knew the whole ordeal that Phèdre had to go through to resolve the series. So most of the time I felt like I was just suffering through endless description just to see if anything interesting was actually going to happen.

I really liked how the relationship developed between Phèdre and Joscelin through the trilogy. I also thought the intense darkness in the middle of the book was an interesting change, since in the other two books the conflict just seemed light and fluffy - traitors to the oh so precious Terre d'Ange and blah blah blah. Here we come face to face with pure evil. That part was difficult to read though!
As much as it's nice to see Phèdre and Joscelin have so much love and devotion for each other, I've never been able to feel the chemistry between them. It makes me go "eww" every time they physically get together, LOL.

Three stars for an epic tale. Minus two for a SLOW read and for feeling somewhat distant from (but still admiring of) the characters.

One observation I've made about myself recently is that I think I just really can't LOVE a book that has first person narration. I wonder how differently I would have felt about these books if they had been third person. ( )

The final book in Phedre's story is my favorite part because pace of the story is quicker than before. Although our heroine is more mature, her ideas and plans are daring and outrageous as before so it was very interesting to follow the story of a search for a lost prince and a God's true name. ( )

I suppose it goes without saying that I loved the final book of this trilogy. The trilogy has its flaws, I'll admit. For one thing, pages on pages could have been cut in the interests of getting to the point faster and dazzling prose. Still, for me, I quite enjoyed the leisurely pace in some parts of it, and the careful and detailed world building that ensued. Yes, it's kind of ridiculous the way what is essentially France is idolised, and the idea of a land where everyone is beautiful seems like a bit of blatant wish-fulfilment, and the heroine is unlikely and, yes, maybe a little too perfect and prepared for whatever comes. And there's the sex -- plenty of it in each and every book, and some of it rather more kinky than your average person is interested in reading about. Oh, and there's what other people would probably consider to be blasphemy, too. But accept all of that -- and it isn't as hard as it may sound, I think, as long as you have the mental power to skip parts you know you're not going to like -- and there's a brilliant story shining out at you. Or so it seems to me! I do understand why some people don't like it. Now that I've articulated that, I'm going to get back to adoring it, though.

This final book was not quite so much about politics, I think. I mean, that was there -- couldn't really not be, considering. But this book was more about love, what with the various subplots finally playing out: Hyacinthe, Melisande's son, what Kushiel wants of Phèdre, etc, etc. A lot of the things in this book were connected to love, which is appropriate to the world it's set in, really, given that the central precept of the religion is "love as thou wilt".

The thing that most excited me about this book was the quest for the secret name. I loved the character of Hyacinthe from the start, and was sad when he barely appeared in the second book, so I was very glad at how much of the book was dedicated to this quest. At first it seemed a bit backward, since the overthrow of Drujan would seem to be more dramatic and yet came long before the climax of the book, but the way it played out was very good. I was pleased at the way the breaking of the geis was handled, and Hyacinthe's return to life. It would have seemed too good to be true if he'd just got back what he had before he became Master of the Straits.

Imriel's subplot was interesting, too. It was good to see a more tender side of Melisande, the love for her son, and was interesting to get to know Imriel -- how different he turns out. I didn't care for that plot very much at first, but it grew on me a lot, until I cheered at the relationship between him, Phèdre and Joscelin.

Joscelin is, by far, my favourite character of these books. It has to do with his absolute loyalty, which is one of those things I find very appealing in a character. It was very very hard to read how he was tested in Drujan, but it was well-written. I love the peace he and Phèdre make with it all: it's appropriate, and good to see them finding a balance.

All in all, I really wish I had the Imriel trilogy right now. Unfortunately, unless someone loves me very much and buys me the hardbacks, I'm going to have to wait until all three books are out in paperback in the UK. I'm sure it'll be worth the wait. ( )

9/2010: This time, I kept stumbling over the misuse of abjure for adjure. It's driving me bonkers. Aside from that little copy editing issue, the review stands.

6/2008: Re-read. Earlier review stands.

The final volume in the escapist fantasy I've been luxuriating in lately. Lush, sensual, compelling. Not-quite Europe, but very near. The heroine is multi-faceted, brilliant and very vain, her consort is complex and troubled, their quest nearly impossible but taken on regardless. The writing is good, I think, but it's hard to tell because I fall in so far and inhabit the book. ( )

This is the third book in the Kushiel's Legacy trilogy. Phedre no Delauney, s&m courtesan/spy extraordinaire, and her consort Joscelin have enjoyed ten years of peace. That peace is shattered when they set out to find the traitor Melisande's son and rescue Phedre's childhood friend, Hyacinthe, from eternal life (notice I wrote life and not youth.)

For me, this was the darkest and therefore hardest to read of the three books. As usual the s&m scenes weren't (to me) all that graphically detailed. Well, they could have been a lot worse anyway. Most of it was really left up to readers' imaginations. But what she did write and the direction it sent my imagination in was just too much for this country girl. Luckily, all that stops after the first half of the book. So if you can hang in there that long, I believe you're free and clear to just get on with the story.

The story itself was well-written and engaging. I really felt like this book could have been two novels. There are definitely two distinct halves. I think I would almost have rather had the real second book cut out completely and have the first half of the third book as the second novel in the trilogy.

If you liked the other books, this one won't let you down.


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The whole first half in Darsanga was just way too dark for me. I didn't feel like we were really getting anywhere with the story for a while. I know that the plot really was moving along, but it just felt repetitive with Phedre trying to make friends with the others, Phedre trying to make friends with Imri, Phedre going to dinner with the Mahrkagar and avoiding Joscelin's eyes, and then Phedre going to have violent sex with the Mahrkagar as he slowly breaks her. I was just ready for the plot to move on past that part.

And, as much as I like Joscelin, and I'm really glad that he's still with Phedre, I kind of wish that Phedre and Hyacinthe had hooked up one more time, maybe when he visited her in Montreve. It's kind of hinted at that it might happen in the future, but, c'mon, this woman just practically went to hell and back for this guy. They have to get together one more time!


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