Kushiel's Dart

By: Jacqueline Carey

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

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)

Brits in Terra D'Ange?

I love this book. I loved it on paper and I love it in my ears. It's rich and dark, like good chocolate. And the reader is very good, with a nice set of voices for the characters. However, I was unable to get over having a British accent in the voice of the narrator, Phaedra, because the novel is very clearly set in an alternate version of France. It was very jarring, and the pronunciation of some words and names was different from what I expected. Still, an excellent version of an excellent book. Recommended highly.

Is it too much to ask for a duo of narrators?

I have read these books more times than I can count and was excited to have them available on audio. If I had not first read the books, I would immediately have been put-off by Annes voicing and requested refunds on all three titles; the narrator's voice took much adjustment as she sounds like a bougie Brit, and this is NOT how I've heard Phedre's voice in my mind these long years [though it's a great deal better than the male narrator for Imriel's story - now THAT was a HORRIBLE choice of narrator]. She does a fair job of threading emotion into the dialogue, despair and heartache mingled with joy and pleasure - But there are several instances where a poignant pause would be well placed but she just continues to barrel on over the emotional mood created. Perhaps that has to do with editing? I feel much of the context is lost due to the speed and intonation of Anne's narration. Anne's attempt at male character voicing sounds stretched and strangled at the best of times. We would all have been better served had Audible employed a male AND female for the narration of these books - just as they did for the Wheel of Time epic.

Spank Me

At first, I thought this was going to be yet another steamy S&M book. This surprised me because “Kushiel’s Dart” is a very popular series. But gradually the book shifted from the bedroom to politics, treachery, friendship, slavery, wars and even a powerful god like being.

Jacqueline Carey is a very imaginative author and has created a fantasy world to rival George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. My favorite themes in “Kushiel’s Dart” included the value of a mentor, maintaining a state of calm during a crisis, and everyone has a gift that is a source of strength.

A fascinating literary experience

As a first book in a series, it’s rather long! Not a bad thing, as the story is quite interesting. As a fan of high/epic fantasy, this goes into a new direction for me as a reader.

First person and more intrigue rather than third person limited and sword and sorcery. It was well worth the time invested in its listening/reading. An adult fantasy, placed in a world not unlike our own. Steeped in a religion based on Christianity with a strong twist, the world is wrapped in nobles with French sounding names and a protagonist born to extreme proclivities.

Well written and quite compelling, the most interesting thing at the end of it all is how do you make this better?

Ms. Carey has my attention.

Long but worth it

Very complex story with great world building. Almost too much at times. I found it difficult to keep track of all the players. still, it is a very intriguing read!