Kushiel's Chosen has all of the attractive elements found in Kushiel's Dart, wonderful storytelling, attractive settings, complex politics, and fascinating characters and lots of adventures. While it maintains a slower pace than 'Kushiel's Dart', in the end it does not disappoint, in spite of the perhaps too frequent episodes of digging up past thoughts and deeds. The teasing familiarity of the "real world" past is nicely mixed with the fantasy element. The plot twists, and reality spins. It is not easy to deliver successful story telling in the first person, but Carey makes it look like a breeze.
Phedre ne Delauney, the courtesan/masochist/spy heroine of the superb "Kushiel's Dart" is back. This time, Carey treats us to her version of Italy, Greece and Crete, complete with her signature and lavish attention to detail. The descriptions are detailed and allow the reader to really see the characters, their homelands, and their cultures. Phedre finds herself enmeshed in a plot in La Serenissima (Venice), hatched by her old enemy Melisande de la Courcel, which threatens both the local leadership and her own homeland. To defeat, it she will have to survive being captured by pirates, thrown in prison, and even the desertion of her beloved Joscelin.
Phedre has learned a lot from her previous adventures and has matured quite a bit but I found myself wishing that she and Joscelin would just throw away their differences and make up. The story thread around Kazan and the pirates was well written; and Phedre’s Boys were fabulous. I know part of the attraction of this tale is the realism – in that not everything has a happy ending. Nonetheless, I was devastated at the demise of Fortun and Remy. Ysandre becomes a more rounded person throughout this tale, and she will bear watching. I struggle a little to understand Phedre’s relationship with Melisande, but I am prepared to simply accept it. I wanted to know more about Hyacinth’s fate, but I have a feeling that this is what the final novel in the trilogy will be about.
Jacqueline Carey is an original and excellent writer. Her stories are compelling and her characters are engaging and she has a great talent for portraying the world of politics, cultures, and intrigue.
I put down this book and immediately picked up the final instalment in the trilogy. ( )

As a second book in a trilogy, this book seems to suffer from the middle book blues. It does not seem to flow as well as Kushiel's Dart, the middle of the book itself just dragged along. However, the beginning and the ending more then make up for this. The ending brought a tear to my eye, something that NEVER happens, (I am not an emotional person), while making me want to cheer at the same time.

Full Review Here: ( )

The tale of Phedre continues and is even better than the last! Many 'omigod!' moments! ( )

I read this immediately after I read the first one, which is something I never do since I tend to wear out halfway through the second title when I marathon an author like that. I disliked the first one for the use of flowery language, and while that's still being used, I've either gotten used to it or it's been toned way down.

This volume is about Phedre going after Melisandre, and what happens when she succeeds. The first... third or so of the volume is a little slow since it's mostly Phedre and her Chevaliers looking for clues. There is also a slow buildup of a side story involving Jocelin and the Yeshuites, basically those who worship Christ instead of Elua, and how Jocelin has to make a choice between his rough relationship with Phedre and as a leader of the Yeshuites. Phedre's interest in the Yesuites lies in studying their ancient texts looking for a way to free Hyacinthe.

After the first third, Phedre starts out on another extremely epic adventure through the neighboring countries and their different cultures. I didn't enjoy these countries as much as I enjoyed the country from last volume with the Dalriada and the Cruinthe, but it still made for a really enjoyable story, with a similar, possibly more suspenseful, conclusion for the story.

Unfortunately, there's a really easy loose end left open for the next book. I'm not a really big fan of the most obvious path, but I'll still read the next volume and likely enjoy it quite a bit.

The links between Europe and the countries surrounding Terre d'Ange was a little less obvious in the last volume (save for the parallels between Hellenic culture and the Nordic/Skaldic gods as well as the Picts), in this volume, right from the redrawn map, it's pretty obvious that every country links to one in Europe. It was kind of a relief to me, because it really helps me picture the geography better.

I didn't like it quite as much as the first one since a lot of what happens seems a little less exciting, but it was still a fantastic read. ( )

See Kushiel's Dart. ( )