Il dardo e la rosa (edition 2005)

I don't normally do a very long or thorough review for books that are part of a trilogy: I tend to wait for the end of the trilogy. But Kushiel's Dart is an exception, mainly because there's enough action and intrigue for a whole trilogy in the first book alone. A lot of people start their reviews by saying that this book is not for everyone. Well, bah to that. No book is for everyone. Kushiel's Dart does deal with a lot of sex. Kinky sex. I thought, on the whole, that part was well done -- and a lot of Phèdre's assignations were also plot points. I think that even a person with no interest in BDSM in itself could enjoy the books, and just skim or skip the sex scenes if they're that troubling. Now, some of the torture scenes: they made me wince.

I wasn't fond of the narrative voice, at first, but once I got into it, I quite enjoyed it. The voice is quite distinctive, being decidedly not modern English, although it does remind me a little of Fitz and Nevare in Robin Hobb's work -- I think it's mostly that they and Phèdre tell their stories from the same distance.

This book is incredibly rich in terms of world building. There is so much depth to it, woven into the story. Perhaps a little more than is exactly necessary, but if you appreciate a lot of world building, it's brilliant. You probably have to lay aside any scepticism about a land where everyone is beautiful, having the blood of the son of Jesus, but if you suspend your disbelief and let the details build up, I think it's a very compelling world. The politics that drive the plot are also amazing, and this is one of few books that kept me guessing a lot. Melisande really does play a deep and subtle game.

The characters themselves, again, you have to be willing to buy into, I think. I know that some people think she's a "Mary Sue" because she's beautiful and she's special and she's marked by a god and all of it. Yes: okay. I can see that criticism. But once you're drawn into the story, once the setup is over, the characters become incredibly compelling. The complex relationships between them are very, very interesting, and I can't wait to see how things will play out. My favourite characters were Joscelin and Hyacinthe, fairly predictably. There's something I find incredibly compelling about the depth of loyalty Joscelin and Hyacinthe have for Phèdre in their different ways. Melisande is also incredibly interesting, of course.

I loved the subplot of Ysandre and Drustan, too, including the part with the Master of the Straits. Hyacinthe's subplot in that breaks my heart, and yet I love it.

Jacqueline Carey keeps a lot of threads on the loom, in this book, and I think she manages them all admirably. I'm eager to read Kushiel's Chosen -- though I might have to take a day or two to recover first! ( )

The narrator is just about perfect, breathy, seductive, full of herself. Just like Phedre. Looking back through my reviews of the print and Kindle versions of this book, I seem to need to read it every September. I wonder what it is about September that brings out the longing for the Byzantine? Or extended rumination on the nature of pain?

I think that's the thing that draws me back to this book, time and time again- Carey's exploration of pain and the places it can take one. I think she's dead on, and I say this as a person who's had more than one root canal with no anesthesia. Pain is interesting, and Phedra's experience of it draws me in. ( )

05/12 Yep, this is certainly one of my go-to comfort books.

09/10 STET
06/08 Reread. Comfort food...

Reread. Review unchanged. :-)

Lush, sultry, sexy and escapist. I sank into this book and luxuriated. Just the thing for a cold winter night. Layers upon layers, set in almost-but-not-quite Renaissance Europe. Well written and gripping. ( )

This started out a little slow for me. It dragged along for about the first 150 pages. Then the action started and I couldn't put it down. To oversimplify the plot, this is the story of Phedre, a masochist who sleeps with her patrons not only for money, but also for state secrets. So, there were some S&M scenes written into the book, but they weren't too terribly graphic. The characters were well-written, as was the plot, once it really got started.
I would have given this five stars, but I did have a few things holding me back. Almost the only thing that made this book fall into the fantasy category was the fact that it's set in a made-up world that is very obviously based on Europe. There is only one character who uses magic, and I didn't feel like he fit into the novel very well. I kept wondering what on earth this guy had to do with anything, and then I realized that he is the setup for one of the sequels. The author's use of foreshadowing is somewhat heavy-handed, but I believe this was her first novel, so I'm willing to overlook it. And the last thing that drove me crazy was that there were too many characters in the novel. I couldn't keep up with who was who and whose side they were on. There is a cast of characters at the beginning to assist with this, but I hate flipping back and forth like that because I lose the whole flow of the plot. So I just kept reading and eventually I would pick it back up from the context.
Overall, if you like fantasy, and you're not too squeamish (like I said, the S&M scenes were more suggested than spelled out in graphic detail, but they definitely were S&M) you will probably enjoy this book. I intend to check out the sequel on my next trip to the library. ( )

Only read the first 200 pages, for LJK book club.

This is going to be a very unpopular review. So, to all of you who may hate me after reading this, I apologize in advance.

From the rave reviews, and based on the vast number of people who seemingly loved this book enough to tattoo a representation of it on their body, I expected it to blow me away. I love fantasy, I love stories with a kick-ass female lead, and despite the fact that this might tell you a bit more about me than you bargained for, I was really looking forward to enjoying a bit of pain and pleasure vicariously through this book.

Unfortunately, every single one of those things fell very short for me.

I consider myself to be a pretty patient person. I can wait through a not-so-great beginning to get to a great story. I can even wait through a bad beginning, and a lukewarm middle to get to a great, everything-comes-together-in-the-end ending.

But, no. It started so promisingly, the very beginning setting the stage for an intricate world, society, plot, and story... and then proceeded to annoy me for the next 296 pages. After page 300, it did pick up, but "fast paced" doesn't always equal "good".

Some of the annoying stuff:
- Foreshadowing
- Allusions
- Foreshadowing
- Euphemisms
- Foreshadowing
- Wordiness
- Foreshadowing

FORESHADOWING. *narrows eyes*

Oddly enough, before reading this, my friend said something along the lines of, "I have to warn you, the foreshadowing is very heavy-handed." To which I replied, "Oh, I probably wouldn't have even noticed if you hadn't told me." (Oh silly me.) To which SHE replied, "Yes. You would."

Friend, 1.
Becky, 0.

I have never, ever, seen clumsier foreshadowing in my life. Had I known, then, that this book would test my patience, stamina and sanity, would I have kept reading?

No. I wouldn't have. I finished this book because I promised that friend I would read it, so I did. Every page contained a new attempt at suspense... If books came with soundtracks, this one's theme would be "DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!!"

But let's move on and not beat a dead horse. The foreshadowing wasn't the only thing to aggravate me, although it was the most prevalent. We also have the irritating allusions to things that apparently we're supposed to know already.

The first, and the one that sticks out most in my head, is a reference to a poem that Phedre read in which a man, who was in love with a woman, "unmanned" himself for her. No further detail than that. What does that mean? Did he humble himself before the woman, therefore removing any manliness from his status? Did he physically cut off his manhood? What was the point of the throw-away reference? It never comes up again, so it's not a "Hey, you might want to remember me for later" tidbit, it's an annoying slice of "Haha! Bet you'd like to know what I'm all about, wouldn't ya?".

There were several other situations in which Phedre mentioned things like "...the whole world knows this, so I won't mention it...". Oh. OK. Thanks. Wouldn't want you to strain something.

Then there were the euphemisms. My favorite being "Pearl of Naamah". Why do men have anatomical boy parts (albeit called the annoyingly repetitive "phallus"), but girl parts are given a name like the "Pearl of Naamah"?

Moving on to the general wordiness. Carey must have had her thesaurus handy while writing this book. So many of her sentences just seem to wander around without actually going anywhere. I'm sure she was going for an old-world feel. People back in the day didn't speak like we do now. Got it. But there's a line that when crossed takes you from "perfectly worded and appropriate for the theme you're going for" to "Can we possibly say something in between the 'twixts' and 'tweres'?".

So now let's look at some of the words, shall we? In no particular order:
Bistre - Cool word for brown. Overused.
Thus - Thus it was that the word thus was thus overused.
Somewhat - My absolute favorite of the annoying words. Universally used to replace "something", this word just crawled onto my last nerve and dug in its heels. It jarred in every single usage and ruined the flow of every sentence that contained it. VERY overused and unnecessary.
Vaster - Just sounds grammatically wrong. Plus overused.
Betimes - Overused.
Compass - Apparently used to replace "comprehend" in certain scenarios. I searched, and can't find a single reference to the word being used in this way anywhere - if you can, please link me to it, it's making me crazy.
There were many others, those are just the ones I wrote down.

Miscellaneous other bothersome things:
- "Seed": Yes, this is euphemism for semen, and you might be asking yourself why I didn't mention it above. Well, I will tell you why. Seeds grow into stuff when planted. Can someone please explain to me how it is that Phedre had so many romps with so many men releasing themselves into her and yet never got pregnant? You might be saying to yourself, but this is fantasy, it doesn't matter! Yes, it does. This is a realistic story set in an alternate world, and obviously since Phedre herself is "a whore's unwanted get", the subject might be addressed as to how she prevented her own "unwanted get".
- Melisande: Pointless. Plot. Device.
- Forced sequel: Carey could have (should have?) and DID end this book perfectly. And then she kept writing, and in so doing, forced the ending into a situation that would require a sequel. Nice try. I'm forgetting I read the last few pages as I type. This story is ended for me, I think.

There... Now we can talk about what I liked.

Joscelin. Thank goodness for Joscelin. I really would have had to give up on this book if it wasn't for him. He was really predictable, but I loved him anyway. He kicked ass, like a ninja priest.
Hyacinthe. Loved him too - he was fun, and one of the only unique characters in the book.
Delaunay. He was awesome. Smart, honest, honorable.

I did like the concept of love as a sacred act, and I liked the references to different religions. I enjoyed the different people and their customs, and enjoyed the intricate relationships between everyone and the political aspects of the story. I liked the fact that Delaunay taught Phedre to learn and think and analyze. I like the concept of the thirteen houses, which reminded me of Geisha houses. I liked the Tsingani people, who were fun and boisterous and superstitious and sly. I loved Rousse's men, who were brave and smart and thought of cool songs. I liked Ysandre, who was young and wise and fair. I liked Drustan, too. And Alcuin who was soft-hearted but had a will of steel.

I can see how some people would like this book. Unfortunately, I can't count myself among them. Too much annoyed me for me to say I liked it, but I didn't hate it either. I just think it could have been so much better had Carey had an editor with balls. It's always easier to rip apart what you didn't like than enumerate what you did, and I did NOT outline everything that I liked in the book here, so this review is a bit one sided. Sorry about that.

I hope you all don't REALLY hate me. ( )

*note to self.copy from Al.

This novel is one of those which could come carrying a warning label: "flammatory material", or a back cover blurb including: "no liability accepted for wanton acts of a prurient nature."

Kushiel's Dart is fantasy without the Elves, Dwarves etc, a pseudo mediaeval and feudal Europe in which each character claims allegiance to one of the ruling gods. It also constitutes soft/hard-core pornography of various persuasions, and is laced with scenes of brutal savagery - the heroine is delightfully relieved of her skin by a tribe of hunters.

There's mystery and murder, minus the magic, politics between the monarchy and the ruling houses, espionage as well as traditional romance - even though the triangle angle has now been rendered old geometry, this book precedes the current fashion of threesomes and a heroine besieged with choice. In the case of Kushiel's Dart, at least the premise for such a construction is better founded than other works of fiction that don't require naming.

Is it tightly paced, action packed reading? I'm not sure, but I don't think so. I found it difficult to see the trees for the...ah...purple forest. I finished (by skimming chunks) of the book, and have no interest in the series. Running the gauntlet of human experiment has never really turned me on. ( )

Got it from the library... several people I know like this series...

I don't care how long a book is, if it's failed to wow me by page 361 then I think it's time to give up, right?

I understand a few things about this book. Firstly, that [a:Jacqueline Carey|9237|Jacqueline Carey|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205262579p2/9237.jpg] is actually not a bad writer, that the world created and the politics of it are well thought out... but I still don't understand why this book hasn't got more mixed reviews. Are there that many people into hardcore bdsm? Let's face it, that's what this book is really about.

Yeah, so... sex. I am open-minded about it and like books that use it in moderation and don't swamp the story with it. Kink? No problem, spices up the dullest relationship... but even I have my limits. You see, there's a HUGE difference between a bit of handcuffs and hair-pulling, and flogging someone until they bleed (and have an orgasm!). No, I'm serious. I saw before I picked it up that this book had been tagged as "bdsm" but when I read the description and found out that the book's all about sex and violence, I thought the GR members were being melodramatic and silly.

But no, this is a fantasy world built upon some hardcore bdsm schmexing. Phedre (the protagonist) was born with a scarlet mote in her eye, thus making her "one pricked by Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one." Oooh, what a fanciful way of saying that she gets off on having the crap beaten out of her - literally! Not just that but she likes being mentally tormented as well, through harsh words and humiliation. I don't think I will ever appreciate this kind of sexuality, I only got so far into the novel because I was filled with a kind of morbid fascination.

I find it weird that this is so very highly rated. Books that contain subjects that are a bit edgy usually end up with mixed ratings but I constantly find this series on lists of the best fantasy books of all time... I'm clueless. Especially when it is pretty much all about sex. Yeah, it's about kingdoms and politics as well but even these matters are settled with sex. And more sex.

Also, the politics of the book I found to be very dull. It had no relation to politics in our world so I couldn't draw any parallels... just the politics of a sex-ruled world. Ah, sex and politics, two things that can add that special something to a book or ruin it. Guess which I think is the case here?
( )

Today, I finally decided to abandon this book after plodding through the first 206 pages. I don't know, Kushiel's Dart just didn't do it for me.

There were many elements of the book which I thought were good- the backstory of Elua and how Terre D'Ange was founded, the Court of the Night Blooming Flowers and the culture of Naamah, etc. I thought the style was good and easy to get into, although at times it was a bit flowery, even for the fantasy epic genre.

My main problem with the book was that the plot got bogged down with just so. many. details. Details that I didn't care about whatsoever. There were a million different characters that I needed to keep track of, and a ton of history and political intrigue that I didn't really care about. I wanted to read about Phedre and Alcuin and maybe Hyacinthe. I wanted to read about their adventures and development and interior world and society, but it seemed to me that the sole importance of these characters was to provide a backdrop to Delaunay's (not that intriguing) intrigues. It seems like such a waste since the alternate society the author creates is quite interesting and there's potential there.

It just seems like too much work to continue this novel and try to keep everything straight, when I can turn to other fantasy epics which are easier to get into and don't require a 5 page "cast of characters" at the beginning or post-its with "notes" as a bookmark.

The breaking point for me came when I came to page 206 and some sort of "drama" was unfolding (I don't want to spoil it for anyone who cares,) and I realized that I only vaguely recognized the names of the people to which the "drama" was happening. Furthermore, I had no clue why the drama was important and why the character who was freaking out was freaking out. It was then that I realized that it was time for me and Kushiel's Dart to part ways. To many good books out there...




( )

I can’t begin to say how much I loved Kusheil’s Dart. If you can get beyond the non-traditional sex scenes in the early part of the book (they have mythological and plot purposes in the story, so they’re not gratuitous), you’re in for an amazing ride that will have you questioning who you should be rooting for until the very end.

Jacqueline Carey packs more intrigue and action into this book than most authors would have attempted in a series of three or four books. As such, keeping the players and the politics straight is difficult (people and places have foreign-sounding names that can be challenging to remember) but as long as you remember a few key characters, you’ll be fine. But the more you pick up, the richer the plot will be for you.

As an alternative history, it’s very interesting to see echoes of ancient Rome, the Picts, Irish, Anglo Saxons and others in the geography, history and characters. There are even a few who seemed to me to be veiled versions of mythological heroes such as King Arthur, Tristan and Fionn mac Cumhaill, to name a few. This is not to say Carey lacks in original characterization. On the contrary, she takes these archetypes and raises them to a whole new level, while making you truly care (and perhaps be smitten by) many of her original characters.

The writing and plotting of this book is superb. Everything happens for a specific reason (as it should in all books, but doesn’t always) and the connections between events is eventually made clear. Carey has a skill for descriptions and world building that makes you never want to leave. I could feel every movement of the journey and I’ll admit to spending a few hours reading when I would have been sleeping. As a writer, I appreciate the work it must have taken to create such an outstanding book. I feel like I will be a better writer in the future just for having read her writing.

If I had one criticism of the book, it would be that the ending left me wanting, which is natural for the first book in a series, but after all I went through with these characters I wanted more resolution. Carey was heading there, but then changed course and I can’t say I completely believed two of the character’s motivations in how the setup for the second book was accomplished. But, this book is so well-written that I may just have to sign up for the next installment.


( )

A bit heavy handed on the foreshadowing at times, but it worked wonderfully with the narrative voice.
My one complaint was that at times it is hard to remember exactly who is who, and in what context you met them, but that's a minor quibble.
Overall though, I loved it. ( )

Buying this book was truly a case of judging a book by its cover, for me. I kept passing it in the fantasy section and I always stopped to admire the artwork on the dust jacket. Finally I thought to myself, "Just buy it."
I'm happy I did. As the cover states, this is "A novel of passion, magic and betrayal." It is also exquisitely written, and I loved every page. ( )

It begins well, richly written with detailed descriptions of the world and a multitude of characters. Unfortunately this doesn't wear off, and after 100 pages with little plot development boredom sets in. After 130 pages it becomes annoying and I gave up. ( )

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

Phedre has been both blessed and cursed with Kushiel's Dart. Born to a whore, she's brought up to be a whore - but in the end she ends up being so much more. An epic that could have been split up into multiple parts in my opinion.

The tone and narration of this novel made me feel distanced from the main character. Even as she was describing things to me, they were narrated as if they were distant events in the past. That's how the first say, 300 pages got to me, but then I started really getting into the novel and I didn't pay any attention to that anymore.

I often forgot Phadre's name because the novel is told from the first person perspective. I eventually caught on though, I kind of had to with the length of the book.

This is a 900 page epic in tiny writing, so it's no wonder it has taken me so long to get around to reading it. Plus it was on the reward book shelf anyway. The progression is very slow - on page 100 Phadre is only just getting out into the 'community' now that she has undergone years of book training. You just wonder what on earth is going on.

It is not explained clearly what exactly Kushiel's Dart is for a long time, and it frustrated me almost to the point that I wanted to google it! I think the crux of it is that she gets sexual pleasure out of being hurt. I didn't really understand why it was such a big thing, as there is a whole house of those people available in her city.

This is an epic. A true epic. Just as one 'story' comes to a close, the next starts up. You get to travel the breadth of the land, and it's a descriptive, pleasurable journey that I can't complain about. I'm going to get my hands on the other books in the series as a must have as soon as I have a chance to shop (and have money).

I found myself struggling to care about the intrigues presented in the first part of the book. They even didn't become clear to me as I continued reading - the overall impression I got was that there was too much going on for me to really grasp in one read. This is a reread to be sure - there are things I am sure I have missed.

I imagined that her tattoo was a little different from what you can see on the front cover. In fact, when I compare this cover to the other, I can't see how her marque could possibly look like that from that angle. It is still pretty cool though. I liked the description of how it was done as well, and the way she responded fit in with the rest of her characterisation.

Phadre is pushed to the limit in so many different ways. So so many! Just as you think she's getting there on improving things for herself and enjoying life, it turns out that Kushiel's Dart is doing an awesome job of dodging things up for her.

The ending was quite bittersweet, which I enjoyed. It wasn't a happily-ever-after, which sometimes irritates me, as you don't really worry about the characters in the book because you know they will all survive.

I'd recommend this for adults and mature teens. The sex in it is not gratuitous, it is used as currency, but it's not offensive. Certainly not the erotica I was expecting, after being recommended this book after reading Fifty Shades of Grey. ( )

Patron says it's a combination of 50 Shades of Gray and Game of Thrones.

My housemate warned me that they were crack, but foolishly I didn’t listen. Opened the first one and was devoured.

I’d have to say that the series thus far for me has been all about how the quoted yielding doesn’t mean weak. Phedre yields. She yields. She yields. And she is chosen, not the chooser. The gods have chosen. Pricked sinister eye with bloody dart. She’s just their game piece. And yet, it is in yielding that she makes her own choice.

The repetition of the word choice. Kushiel’s Chosen. Cassiel’s choice. The choice to give up heaven for love and what is heaven? What it means to be someone’s true companion?

Although, they aren’t books for everyone. The theology is, in a word, interesting. And since her nature as a masochist is fairly utterly central to the plot, well… Culturally, it's easy to see the dominatrix as powerful. Wrapping my brain around a character for whom pain isn’t just pleasure, it is a religious ecstasy is an interesting trip. How she must learn over and over to accept and negotiate her own nature. For Joscelin to negotiate his nature. To stand at the crossroads and choose. Over and over. Choice.

Meaty stuff for a book that's this deliciously addictive. ( )

Summary: Phèdre was born the unwanted child of an ex-courtesan, and sold into indentured servitude at one of the pleasure houses of the city of Elua, the angel whose only commandment to his people was "Love as thou wilt." But Phèdre was born different, with a mote of scarlet in her otherwise dark eyes, marking her as one pierced by Kushiel's Dart, and cursed - or blessed - to forever experience pain as pleasure. Her unique worth is recognized by Anafiel Delaunay, who purchases her marque, and in his household, she learns to observe and listen and think, as well as continuing her training in the arts of love. For Delaunay knows that as a true anguisette, Phèdre will have access to some of the most important nobles in Terre D'Ange, and Delaunay is willing to play the long game. But even his decades-long machinations may not be enough, and Phèdre will have to be willing to use everything he taught her, and everything she is, if she is to have a hope of averting a terrible disaster that threatens her beloved homeland.

Review: Oh my. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a book as much as this. It's been a long time since I was capslock-y excited about a book and raving about it to anyone who would listen. It's also been a long time since I've read any epic fantasy, so this may be at least partly a case of returning to my favorite genre. But I think the larger part is that Carey is a phenomenal writer, and this book was so, so good. I don't know that I'm even going to be able to coherently explain why I loved it so much, but I'll give it a shot.

I loved the characters. I loved Phèdre: strong and self-confident yet fallible, loyal and smart and willing to make sacrifices. But more, I loved the characters Phèdre surrounds herself with: Delaunay and Alcuin and Hyacinthe and maybe especially Joscelin. Somehow they all crawled inside my heart within a few pages, and this book made me shed tears, more than once, on their behalves. I was somewhat less enamored of the minor characters, mostly because there were so damn many of them. This book has (and needs) a six-page Dramatis Personae, but what would have been a lot more helpful was a family tree of the royal and high noble families. It was easy to get confused, especially since much of the time, characters would be talked about in reference to various plots and schemes, but would appear on screen only briefly, if at all. I eventually got a handle on at least the broad strokes of Terre D'Ange's political landscape, but a tenuous one, and I'm positive there were details and complexities that totally passed me by.

The geographical landscape was easier to get a handle on. Like Guy Gavriel Kay, Kushiel's Dart is technically fantasy, but it's only the smallest stone's throw away from alternate history. Fantastical elements are few and far between, here; the worship of Elua and his Companions is a religion added on to, not replacing, those which actually exist, and apart from some fortune-telling, there's only one plot point that I would brand as supernatural. I even hesitate to label it as a secondary-world fantasy; again, like Kay, the names are tweaked, but otherwise, it's unmistakably medieval Europe. This book is epic, though, in scope as well as page number, but I rarely felt like we were just on a sightseeing tour, and none of the pages felt wasted.

Carey's an amazing writer and prose stylist. I knew this from reading the Sundering duology, but it was confirmed here. Her prose is lush and descriptive and heartbreaking and amazing, and Phèdre's voice had a unique period flair that gave the whole story flavor, but which remained easy to read. Her plot had more than enough twists and turns to keep me interested, and she plays upon the themes of love and loyalty and honor and sacrifice without ever harping on them. The pacing was a little inconsistent; the first half of the book, involving Phèdre's training in Delaunay's household, was very, very different from the latter half of the book. Both were equally interesting, but the shift in tone was rather abrupt. Also, in the last hundred or so pages, the plot shifts to more large-scale battles, and while Carey handles it well by keeping everything tightly bound to Phèdre's perspective, that kind of thing will just never be my favorite subject to read about.

Overall, though, I just loved the pants off of this book. I think it's misclassified as "dark fantasy", since I didn't find a lot of it particularly dark (it's certainly not light fantasy either, but.) I also don't know that I'd call it "erotic fantasy"; yes, Phèdre's a courtesan by birth and by training, so yes, there are a number of fairly explicit (and non-vanilla) sex scenes, but there is also a lot (a lot!) else going on, and I never felt like the sex was the motivating force of the story. While there were a couple of minor issues for which I could ding this book (overabundance of characters, abrupt plotting shifts), I'd still probably rate it a 4.75. The fact that it managed to totally engross me during a period where I've otherwise been distractible and in a reading slump means that I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt: 5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Love it. Highly recommended. It's obviously not for everyone; it is long, and dense, and epic. But it's also beautiful and powerful and fascinating, and if you are a fan of epic fantasy and you haven't read Carey yet, you are doing yourself a disservice. I can't believe I waited as long as I did. ( )

I absolutely love the epic saga that Miss Carey spins in this series. Kushiel's Dart is an amazing first book to the series. ( )

Didn't like at all.
Superb writing, if you don't mind a bit of overwriting but the plot quickly devolves into walking the heroine from one sexual encounter to another (with a wholesale borrowing of BDSM 101 for Dummies), and characterization of most non-minor characters doesn't go much deeper than gushing about how pretty they are. ( )

So, this is one of the best epic fantasy novels I've read in awhile. I put it up there almost with Patrick Rothfuss status - so you know that I really liked this book!

What I didn't like:

It was sooo long! I'm normally okay with this, but there are so many names to keep track of and so much action that takes place...I almost feel as if I read three books within the space of one. Then, to top it all off, the ending makes it obvious that there is more story to tell. I knew this beforehand, but after going through so much with Phedre I just felt too exhausted to embark on the next novel!

What I looooved (which is pretty much everything else):

The world-building....wow. Seriously you guys, the world building is absolutely top-notch in Kushiel's Dart! I was completely immersed in this strange Europe-like polytheistic world with its various dens of iniquity.
Also, the characters were just so fully-fleshed and amazing! I loved Phedre, Hyacinthe, Delaunay, Alcuin, Joscelin (he's my fave), and pretty much every single character she produced - they were all so real.
Armchair reading (fantasy-style)! You travel to so many lands, meet so many different people/entities, and witness such daring feats...that before you know it, you've chewed off all of your fingernails!
Lastly, it was such an emotional roller-coaster - you never stop being interested. It is such a multifaceted story: friendships, families, romance, betrayal, survival, and above all - hope!

What might bother others but didn't bother me:

Um, the world in which Phedre exists is one where there is a very casual attitude towards sex and Phedre herself is a courtesan with special tastes. The god Kushiel (her patron god) is the god of pain...so, uh, to sum it up she's into S&M. For some folks this is an automatic turn-off, but hear me out! While the book does let you know about episodes of er, pain and pleasure...it doesn't go into detail. There are no explicit sex scenes - just a slight description of events without going into too much detail. I thought it was tastefully done, considering the taboo subject matter.

So, there ya go folks! I really really recommend this to fantasy fans and to those who love strong female protagonists. ( )

Il dardo e la rosa ha portato una ventata di aria fresca nel sempre troppo asfittico panorama della letteratura fantasy.
Il tema dell'erotismo non è del tutto nuovo (mi vengono in mente i contradditori costumi sessuali del pianeta Darkover), ma fino a questo romanzo non avevo ancora incontrato una trattazione così esplicita del tema, unita all'eleganza della prosa.
Terre D'Ange è un'ambientazione affascinante, per quanto riguarda i costumi dei suoi abitanti. Su questo tornerò tra poco.
Il colpo di genio della Carey è stato eleggere sua eroina una, diciamolo francamente, puttana. Altolocata, circondata da un'aura di sacro e deferenza quanto si vuole, ma si poteva dire lo stesso del sacro meretricio nelle civiltà antiche.
La scelta potrebbe spiazzare alcuni (ma in verità non ho ancora conosciuto qualcuno tanto bacchettone da disprezzare il romanzo per questo), ma le scene di sesso esplicite, persino in un certo senso decadenti, con contorno di intrigo non sarebbero sufficienti a elevare Jacqueline Carey a narratrice di razza. Per questo gettate le regole del gioco, la situazione prende una piega inaspettata e la molle società angeline si ritroverà ben presto sull'orlo dell'invasione e della guerra. E in questo la nostra Phèdre giocherà un ruolo importante se non vitale.
Nella sua difficile quest si delinea sotto gli occhi del lettore un mondo di affascinante complessità, una terra alternativa con forti richiami alla mitologia ebraica e cristiana. Basti pensare che Terre D'Ange stessa è stata fondata dagli angeli in persona.
Per quanto sia difficile scrivere un commento a posteriori, cioè a trilogia ultimata, voglio essere franco e ricordare che durante il primo approccio alla Carey il mio giudizio sia stata positivo ma sostanzialmente tiepido: mi piacevano molto i personaggi e la loro psicologia, ma decisamente meno l'ambientazione (che trovavo poco originale) e la storia (che ha purtroppo forti richiami ai cliché del genere, soprattutto nella seconda parte). Due problemi che i successivi romanzi hanno risolto brillantemente, per cui il mio consiglio e non lasciarsi sfuggire questo buon romanzo e i suoi brillanti seguiti. ( )

Il dardo e la rosa ha portato una ventata di aria fresca nel sempre troppo asfittico panorama della letteratura fantasy.
Il tema dell'erotismo non è del tutto nuovo (mi vengono in mente i contradditori costumi sessuali del pianeta Darkover), ma fino a questo romanzo non avevo ancora incontrato una trattazione così esplicita del tema, unita all'eleganza della prosa.
Terre D'Ange è un'ambientazione affascinante, per quanto riguarda i costumi dei suoi abitanti. Su questo tornerò tra poco.
Il colpo di genio della Carey è stato eleggere sua eroina una, diciamolo francamente, puttana. Altolocata, circondata da un'aura di sacro e deferenza quanto si vuole, ma si poteva dire lo stesso del sacro meretricio nelle civiltà antiche.
La scelta potrebbe spiazzare alcuni (ma in verità non ho ancora conosciuto qualcuno tanto bacchettone da disprezzare il romanzo per questo), ma le scene di sesso esplicite, persino in un certo senso decadenti, con contorno di intrigo non sarebbero sufficienti a elevare Jacqueline Carey a narratrice di razza. Per questo gettate le regole del gioco, la situazione prende una piega inaspettata e la molle società angeline si ritroverà ben presto sull'orlo dell'invasione e della guerra. E in questo la nostra Phèdre giocherà un ruolo importante se non vitale.
Nella sua difficile quest si delinea sotto gli occhi del lettore un mondo di affascinante complessità, una terra alternativa con forti richiami alla mitologia ebraica e cristiana. Basti pensare che Terre D'Ange stessa è stata fondata dagli angeli in persona.
Per quanto sia difficile scrivere un commento a posteriori, cioè a trilogia ultimata, voglio essere franco e ricordare che durante il primo approccio alla Carey il mio giudizio sia stata positivo ma sostanzialmente tiepido: mi piacevano molto i personaggi e la loro psicologia, ma decisamente meno l'ambientazione (che trovavo poco originale) e la storia (che ha purtroppo forti richiami ai cliché del genere, soprattutto nella seconda parte). Due problemi che i successivi romanzi hanno risolto brillantemente, per cui il mio consiglio e non lasciarsi sfuggire questo buon romanzo e i suoi brillanti seguiti. ( )

I have been avoiding Jacqueline Carey's books for years for no reason I can recall except that I think I disliked the name Kushiel for some reason or other. Well, no more. This books has it all, writing, plot, action, sex (albeit not 'straight').

I will not detail the plot. Suffice it to say that it was complex with a goodly number of characters. The editing was excellent as one naturally expects in a printed book. The action was fast and interesting. The sex was unusual but it was interesting so keep an open mind. The author knows the sexual activities she is writing about perhaps from her psychology major, perhaps in some other manner.

The book is well worth the reading and the time. I am sorry that I waited so long to read it but I console myself with the thought of the others in the series. The book is heartily recommended.

This review can also be found on Amazon.com. ( )