Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Scion
Kushiel’s Scion, by Jacqueline Carey
Get it at Amazon.

Re-visiting the world of Terre d’Ange after more than a year since I last read about Phedre’ and Joscelin, and their adopted son Prince Imriel could have been a jarring experience – after all, Imri in this novel is no longer a child, afraid of monsters lurking beneath the bedroom furniture, but a young man about to attain true adulthood.

Jacqueline Carey’s world building is so detailed, however, that stepping back into Montreve, and the various other locations, was just like stepping into the kitchen of an old friend. Well, if that kitchen was in a time hundreds of years before now, and part of a society built on the concept of Love as thou wilt.

In this, the fourth novel of the Kushiel’s Legacy series, young Imriel is caught between being “good” and being true to himself, as a member of Kushiel’s line, and coming to grips with a childhood of abuse, and the darker desires he was born with. Amidst all this teen angst, there is a quest to find the source of a specific school of knowledge, and much ado with the ladies of the Court.

All in all, it’s a rollicking adventure that acts as the lead-in to the next two books in the series.

Goes well with a tankard of ale, hearty fresh-baked bread, and a good sharp cheddar.

Kushiel’s Avatar

Kushiel's Avatar (Kushiel's Legacy)

Jacqueline Carey

I don’t remember who recommended the Kushiel books to me in the first place, only that I resisted reading them for the longest time, then, when I did, sheepishly admitted that I liked them.

In any case, I bought this, the final book in the Kushiel’s Legacy trilogy, several months ago, but only read it very recently, when I was between trips to the library. I liked it well enough, I guess, but I hate to see series end, even though the ending in this case was a natural one, as the story arc was not only complete, but all the loose ends had been tied up.

Kushiel’s Chosen

Kushiel's Chosen

by Jacqueline Carey

* * * * *

The second installment of Carey’s trilogy that began with Kushiel’s Dart. Very much a “middle” novel, but with some interesting plot twists.

Read in February; logged in April.

Kushiel’s Dart

Kushiel's Dart

by Jacqueline Carey

* * * * *

Read in February, logging in April.

For the first fifty pages of this book, I was thinking, “This is stupid, this is boring, this is badly written, and oh, God, I bought the sequel!”

But I realized I wasn’t really giving it a chance. I still think the author overwrites, but the story of palace intrigue and alternative-earth politics is still pretty entertaining. Good characters, just too much purple prose.