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Kushiel's Dart (2001)

by Jacqueline Carey

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Phèdre Trilogy (1), Kushiel's Legacy (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6,9762381,310 (4.09)299
Erotic Literature. Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. HTML:

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart---a massive tale about the violent death of an old age and the birth of a… (more)

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    avalon_today: Both about a young girl faced with adventures and obstacles.
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    The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A. N. Roquelaure (epazia)
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    MyriadBooks: For the reinterpretation of Christianity, although they are very different books.
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    Even the Wingless by M. C. A. Hogarth (hoddybook)
    hoddybook: Even the Wingless is less erotica than Kushiel's Dart. Both deal with somewhat extreme sexual practices however. The former set in an alien environment whereas the latter is in an alternate universe.
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    ryvre: Black Ships has the same fantasy-meets-mythology feel as the Kushiel series, though without the sexual themes.
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    The Compass Rose by Gail Dayton (MyriadBooks)
    MyriadBooks: Because of the vivid sexual descriptions and political underpinnings.
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    To Serve and Submit by Susan Wright (Anonymous user)
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» See also 299 mentions

English (231)  Italian (1)  French (1)  Swedish (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (235)
Showing 1-5 of 231 (next | show all)
I guess I'm on a re-reading kick--nothing new is appealing to me right now. Thank goodness, there are books like this one to keep me busy during the wait! ( )
  jazzbird61 | Feb 29, 2024 |
Pros: An original and thorough bit of world-building, and an unusual leading character. Well-written.
Cons: A denouement that went on forEVER. (A common feature of many epic fantasies, IMO.)

When all is said and done, it just wasn't my cup of tea. However, I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who was looking for a good fantasy outside the standard sword & sorcery milieu. (That's why I rated it 3 stars instead of 2.) ( )
  Treebeard_404 | Jan 23, 2024 |
This may be the most entertaining fantasy book I've ever read. I'm a huge Gabaldon and GRRM fan. There is plenty of political backstabbing and hot sex, but what I enjoy most is that all of it is from Phedra's point of view. She's a wonderful character, and though she is not complex, she still maintains a character arc worth reading and understanding. It's also a clear read of how a mentor's abuse burns your soul. It is never easy to leave the grasp. Though Phedra does become a noble woman at its end, her greatest wealth is with her friendships. ( )
  tyk314 | Jan 22, 2024 |
This may be the most entertaining fantasy book I've ever read. I'm a huge Gabaldon and GRRM fan. There is plenty of political backstabbing and hot sex, but what I enjoy most is that all of it is from Phedra's point of view. She's a wonderful character, and though she is not complex, she still maintains a character arc worth reading and understanding. It's also a clear read of how a mentor's abuse burns your soul. It is never easy to leave the grasp. Though Phedra does become a noble woman at its end, her greatest wealth is with her friendships. ( )
  tyk314 | Jan 22, 2024 |
Rather a good find, especially for a first novel...
I picked up this novel on a sort of whim, it looked detailed and filled with shallow intrigues, the kind of thing I like for light reading. A friend of mine read it about ten years ago he said to give Carey a chance so I did! Carey takes her time in establishing the setting, and at first I wondered if I had picked up a piece of erotica masquerading as fantasy. I read with trepidation through the first 200 pages or so, noting how the author was taking her time and setting up what seemed like several plot strands, prepared to groan when she did not develop them completely. But, much to my pleasant surprise, I was disappointed in that expectation.
The plot follows Phedre, an indentured slave and courtesan, through her training and into the polite society of the D'Angeline court (which claims its bloodlines from the descent of angels), where she becomes embroiled in intrigues while following her own path, that of an anguissette-- one born to the spiritual line of Kushiel, her patron god, and one destined to find pleasure in pain. This is the first part of the novel, and I would definitely point out that a large portion of it is set in a boudoir, or "pleasure chamber"-- not to the point of being tasteless, but I was at times speculative as to whether or not there was some larger plot at work at all.
But then, somewhat abruptly, there was, and that is where the novel proved interesting, when those intrigues Phedre had been somewhat unwittingly involved in become larger concerns and she is forced to survive and engage herself in a much larger game.
Though the novel is engaging and I recommend it, I will note that one of the most annoying aspects of it is that it is told by Phedre herself, from the vantage point of a later date. Her commentary as a narrator tends to the dramatic and highly romantic-- which can be annoying, but as the reader comes to know Phedre through the story, it actually becomes rather endearing. From the comments of other characters we come to realize we are perhaps not the only ones annoyed and amused by her dramatics.
Don't go into this book expecting anything radically different in terms of plot. Yes, there are interesting and unique elements here, particularly the acclaimed celestial heritage of the book's people, and interesting depictions of religion and culture.
I recommend it highly to those who enjoy high fantasy, meaning fantasy including the likes of princes, priests, and courtesans. There is little overt magic in these books, which I missed, but there is ample mythology and intrigue. The structure of the book is solid, and once you get past the first 200 pages or so, it's nearly impossible to put down-- each time I got even slightly bored or thought of stopping, something dramatic or particularly twisted would happen and I would be forced to keep on reading-- forcing a couple of very late nights, which is always a good sign of a book's enjoy-ability.
Enjoy! ( )
  b00kdarling87 | Jan 7, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 231 (next | show all)
Overall, though, this is a really superior debut, integrating original themes, intelligent world-building, and skillful writing to an extent all too rare in today's fantasy market. It should immediately establish Carey as one of the most interesting and talented of the current crop of rising fantasy stars.
 

» Add other authors (5 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Carey, Jacquelineprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Flosnik, AnneNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Giancola, DonatoCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nguyen, TranIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Palencar, John JudeCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Dedication
Thank you to my parents, Marty and Rob, for a lifetime of love and encouragement, and to Julie, whose belief never wavered. To my great aunt Harriett, a very special mahalo for all her stalwart support.
First words
Lest anyone should suppose that I am a cuckoo's child, got on the wrong side of the blanket by lusty peasant stock and sold into indenture in a shortfallen season, I may say that I am House-born and reared in the Night Court proper, for all the good it did me.
Quotations
Love as thou wilt.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
First of three parts of the first German translation of "Kushiel's Dart".
Second part is called "In den Händen der Feinde".
The third part has never been published.

The new translation of "Kushiel's Dart" is called "Das Zeichen". It contains the whole book.

Second of three parts of the first German translation of "Kushiel's Dart".
First part is called "Die Geheimniss des Nachtpalais".
The third part has never been published.

The new translation of "Kushiel's Dart" is called "Das Zeichen". It contains the whole book.
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Erotic Literature. Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. HTML:

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart---a massive tale about the violent death of an old age and the birth of a

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