Kushiel's Dart

By: Jacqueline Carey

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

Length: 31 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

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 new.

©2008 Jacqueline Carey (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This brilliant and daring debut catapults Carey immediately into the top rank of fantasy novelists." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A very sophisticated fantasy, intricately plotted and a fascinating audiobook." (Robert Jordan, author of the Wheel of Time series)

Sexually excited by pain? You'd be a good spy.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book carefully, because of the amount of kinky sex.

What other book might you compare Kushiel's Dart to and why?

Wow. I'm not sure I've read anything quite like it. The closest thing I can think of is the movie The Secretary... only set on another planet in a King-Arthur style world. And the Secretary is a spy.

What about Anne Flosnik’s performance did you like?

She was perfect for the part. The main character/narrator is very melodramatic, and Anne Flosnik was able to capture her personality perfectly

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really, I'll be honest. Sometimes the painful sex scenes made me have to turn it off.

Any additional comments?

The initial shock aside, this character grows into an amazing woman, who uses her 'god given gifts' to be a spy and save the kingdom. About a third of the way through the book, the sex tones down a little (or you get used to it?) and I began to love her character and I was hooked. The idea that sex is worshiped and being a sexual object of desire makes you priest(ess)-like in nature makes this book a must read for anyone who likes to stretch their definitions of how the world works and think about things in a slightly different way.

Way worth a credit!

This is an excellent, yet very adult read. Great narrator and a good pace in plot even though it is a long book. If you need something took keep you occupied on a long trip this is it!

Enchanting

This story is amazingly told and full. You will clamor for the next. Never will you be sad that you listened until the very end.

Amazing world building & story!!

I absolutely LOVE this book series. I've read them all a million times. The story is still good in audible form ,it's just that the story is set in a fictional medieval France. The narrator's accent is NOT close to French and it takes a while to get use to her voice. It's a bit...harsh. BUT once the story sweeps you up (give it a few chapters) you'll thoroughly enjoy the ride. Highly reccomend the entire Kushiels series!!

One of my absolute favorite stories!!

I've read and reread this book and tried listening to the audio version. It was beatifully read!! I'll reread the book and now listen to the audio over and over...the voice was unique and hope it's the same for the next book.

Loved it!

Great story-loved the characters and the narrator was wonderful. Will definitely read the ithers in the series.

A 20th century epic

Carey's writing style takes some getting used to, but it's so so worth it. The story is EPIC (literally) it's 97 chapters and crosses almost an entire continent. Wonderful characters and an interesting world/culture building. I will say, it might be easier to read some of the early or middle chapters instead of listening to it. There are so many invented words and names it could sometimes be hard to keep track of who, what, when and which was a proper noun or adjective in a foreign tongue.

The audio performance was impressive and must have been exhausting for the voice actor, but this is one that could definitely have benefitted from a male voice. The actor can definitely do a male voice, but there are some many characters and in a few cases the voice actor would slip between accents (the accents and inflections becoming less defined) making it hard to find out who was speaking.

Unique Subject

This book took some patience but once hooked, I was completely enthralled. The entire serious at times was hard to listen to, as parts are quiet graphic, but always in a good way and unlike so many trilogies, you never felt bogged down with recapping the previous books.

Really good, memorable book after a slow start

What did you love best about Kushiel's Dart?

The characters were rich. The story, although pretty simple is really enjoyable. And I generally prefer first-person narrated books.

What other book might you compare Kushiel's Dart to and why?

Nothing really similar.

What about Anne Flosnik’s performance did you like?

She is fantastic. Her accents brought the story to life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I can’t think of a thing.

Any additional comments?

I didn’t like the book much for the first half of the story. It felt like a typical romance novel with lots of sex. The book seemed to change about halfway through and become a lot more interesting. If you struggle with the book, I’d suggest that you just keep going. For me it was worth it.

Not my thing.

Just not my kind of story, and when the narrator does male or old voices it sounds kinda silly.