Kushiel's Mercy

~by Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey is the third volume of the trilogy featuring Imriel nó Montrève de la Courcel as the protagonist. Or, depending on how you want to count it, the novel is the sixth volume in Carey's series Kushiel's Legacy. Regardless, it is an ending point. I've been reading Kushiel's Legacy from the beginning and I love the books. The series has gained a devoted following and many of the individual volumes have been nominated for and have won various awards and honors. Kushiel's Mercy was first published in 2008, so I'm a few years behind in my reading. I've been taking my time with the series. The books are fairly lengthy, and while the second trilogy's style is less flowery than the first's, there is still quite a bit going on. It was only a matter of time before I got around to reading Kushiel's Mercy, and now I have.

After taking revenge on the person responsible for his wife Dorelei's murder in Alba, Imriel is able to return to Terre d'Ange and the woman he loves with all his soul--Sidonie, the heir to the throne. There are many people in the realm who are unhappy with this situation. Because Imriel is the son of Terre d'Ange's greatest traitor, many suspect his motivations and believe his desire to be impure. Imriel and Sidonie know better. However, in order to prove his intentions to the Queen and the peerage, and in order to be officially recognized as Sidonie's husband, Imriel is ordered to bring his mother to justice. Imriel has not had much happiness in his life, and he is willing to do what he must in order to keep it and the woman he loves. But before he can, Terre d'Ange falls victim to the schemes of Carthage and he must confront a foe even more dangerous than his mother.

It has been wonderful to watch Imriel grow and change ever since his introduction in Kushiel's Avatar and as the protagonist of his own trilogy (Kushiel's Scion, Kushiel's Justice, Kushiel's Mercy). He used to be defined by those around him--his traitorous mother, his heroic foster parents--but in Kushiel's Mercy he has finally become his own person. Imriel has matured greatly throughout Kushiel's Legacy; he now knows who he is and what he wants, and he is willing to fight for his own sake. One of the things that I love about Carey's Kushiel books is that the characters' sexuality is integral to who they are as people and is important to their development. The sex isn't just there to be there (although I'm okay with that, too) but it's an important part of the story for a reason.

I'll admit, there were some aspects of Kushiel's Mercy that I was hesitant about, particularly the prominence of arcane magic in the story. Honestly, I felt a little cheated. At least at first. Terre d'Ange doesn't really have a tradition of arcane magic. Although divine gifts and abilities have always played a part in Kushiel's Legacy, arcane magic's role has always been fairly limited up until now. But by the end of Kushiel's Mercy, Carey had convinced me that the incorporation of arcane magic into her world was the correct one. The story that she wanted to tell couldn't have been told in any other way. However, what probably impressed me most about Kushiel's Mercy, was how skillfully Carey not only ties together Imriel's trilogy but the entire Kushiel cycle as a whole. I found Kushiel's Mercy to be an extremely satisfying ending, but I still look forward to reading the next trilogy as well.

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Kushiel's Justice

~by Jacqueline Carey

I have been a huge fan of Jacqueline Carey's ever since reading her debut novel Kushiel's Dart. Since then, I have been slowly making my way through the rest of the Kushiel's Legacy series and her other works such as Santa Olivia. Kushiel's Justice is the fifth book in the Kushiel sequence or the second book in the Imriel trilogy, depending on how you like to count things. The Kushiel books are fairly lengthy, but I definitely find them to be worth the time investment. While Kushiel's Dart will probably remain my favorite in the series for a variety of reasons, I was looking forward to reading Kushiel's Justice. As an added incentive, many of my friend have already finished the books and I needed to catch up. But, I really didn't find that to be too much of a burden.

Prince Imriel de la Courcel is the son of two of Terre d'Ange's most infamous and despised traitors. Despite also being adopted into the household of the realm's greatest heroes, he is still viewed with hatred and suspicion by many of the D'Angeline peerage. Understandably, problems are sure to develop when Imriel falls in love with his cousin Sidone, the Queen's oldest daughter and heir to the throne. They attempt to keep the affair secret, but this also presents difficulties. To make circumstances even more delicate, Imriel has agreed to a marriage to further the goodwill and relationship between Terre d'Ange and Alba. Affairs of love and state collide, complicating matters of both. And when the only precept is "Love as thou wilt," Imriel is also accountable to the gods. He does his best to make the right choices, but even good decisions can be the wrong ones.

Ever since his full introduction in Kushiel's Avatar, the last book in the first Kushiel's Legacy trilogy, I have always liked Imriel. But I get this odd feeling that Kushiel's Justice is about Imriel without actually being about Imriel; I was more interested in the secondary characters (I've developed a huge crush on his cousin Mavros) than I was in the prince himself. He often seemed to be in the background despite being the main protagonist, the narrator, and rather introverted. At least that was true for the first half or so of the book. Imriel did a lot of growing up in the previous volume, Kushiel's Scion, but he still had quite a bit more to do in Kushiel's Justice. He had already come to terms with many of the responsibilities that go along with being a prince of the blood, but he still remained self-absorbed and impetuous. His personality tends to be fairly passive, allowing many of the events and decisions that impact his life to simply happen. But when circumstances finally cause him to take control of his own destiny, he shows an impressive amount of determination. Once he has found the direction for his own life, his story has a much greater sense of purpose.

Kushiel's Justice is for the most part slow and quiet, but generally a very lovely book. I always enjoyed reading it but never really felt compelled or in a rush to continue the story. The first part of the book felt particularly unhurried until Imriel develops some clear ambitions. At that point, the story begins to move at a quicker pace. Granted, the plot develops over several years, so it makes sense that Carey would take her time. Religion, which has always been an important element in the Kushiel books, plays a significant role Kushiel's Justeice--something that I appreciate. There are deaths, and they are hard, but they are also very meaningful. Imriel certainly has gone through difficult times, but he has managed to grow into a fine young man and has done the best that he can to do right by those he holds dear. Kushiel's Justice doesn't stand on it's own quite as well as it could have, it is the middle book in a trilogy after all, but it is still coherent without having to completely reiterate the books that have come before. Kushiel's Justice probably isn't the strongest book in the series, but ultimately I still found it to be satisfying and I still love Carey's writing. I look forward to finishing out Imriel's trilogy with Kushiel's Mercy.

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Kushiel's Scion

~by Jacqueline Carey
2007 Gaylactic Spectrum Award Nominee

Ever since reading Jacqueline Carey's first published novel, Kushiel's Dart, I knew that I would be reading anything by her that I could get my hands on. While none of the other books have grabbed me in quite the same way so far, I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every one. Kushiel's Scion is the fourth book of her Kushiel's Legacy series and the first book of the second trilogy. Even though I loved the first three books, it took me a while to start Kushiel's Scion--the books are lengthy and require a significant amount of time devoted to reading them. But, for me anyway, it has been totally worth it, and Kushiel's Scion is no exception.

Imriel nó Montrève de la Courcel only wants to be good. He never wanted to be a prince of Terre d'Ange, third in line to the throne. In fact, he was quite content with his life as a goatherd, oblivious to his true identity. But that was before he was kidnapped as a child and sold into soul-shattering slavery. He was rescued and fostered by the heroes of the realm--the Comtesse de Montrève, Phèdre nó Delaunay, and her consort Joscelin Verreuil--but not before being physically and spiritually scarred. His mother, Melisande Shahrizai, is the land's greatest traitor, and there are many at court who would like to see Imriel disgraced or dead. Imriel struggles to accept his heritage and terrible past while trying to avoid the worst of the intrigue, speculations, and underhand dealings at court. Thrust into a life as a member of the royal family, and with all the responsibilities that accompany it, he seeks to leave, hoping to discover and accept himself, both the good and the bad.

Beyond the first trilogy of the Kushiel's Legacy series, I have yet to read any of Carey's other books (though I do plan to), so I wondered how well she would handle a different protagonist. The answer--quite well indeed; Imriel is definitely a different character than Phèdre. Carey's writing is still elegant (and I still love it), but Imriel's perspective is more straightforward and a little less flowery than his adoptive mother's. Carey also did an excellent job of introducing the back-story from the previous three books. Because the past events are seen through Imriel's eyes, it wasn't as repetitive as it could have been for those who read the first trilogy while still allowing newcomers to fully enjoy the story. It is not necessary to have read the previous books, though it adds quite a bit. Unlike most of the books that came before it, Kushiel's Scion isn't quite an epic save-the-kingdom tale but a slightly quieter coming of age story.

I rather liked Imriel as a protagonist, but, like most teenagers, I wanted to smack him upside the head more than once. His personality is much more passive than that of Phèdre's, especially towards the beginning of the book, but by the end he is more at home with himself as a person. The changes he goes through and the maturation of his character are handled very well--it is clear that he is different from when he began. Overall, Kushiel's Scion fits in very nicely with the previous books even if it is a different kind of story. The writing is still beautiful, there's still plenty of intrigue, and the plot and characters continue to be deep and complex (there's a reason that a detailed dramatis personae and map are included). I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time in Carey's world and watching Imriel continue to grow as a young man in Kushiel's Justice.

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Kushiel's Avatar

~by Jacqueline Carey

During Jacqueline Carey's last book tour, on which I got to meet her, I asked what was the one scene that was personally most difficult for her to write. She answered that it was a scene in Kushiel's Avatar where she stayed true to the characters and to the plot, which resulted in some pretty horrible things happening. While I don't remember exactly which scene she was referring to, I'm pretty sure I know which one it was because it made me want to cry when I read it.

It's been ten years since Kushiel's Chosen takes place and Phèdre is both more mature and wiser. She has spent her time in intense research and study, searching for the answer to her best friend's freedom. Hyacinthe, now the Master of the Straits, has been caught in an longstanding curse trapping him on a remote and lonely island and slowly driving him mad.

When she has exhausted all her resources and is still no closer to obtaining Hyacinthe's freedom, she receives a plea from Melisande Sharizai, Phèdre's one-time patron and traitor to the crown. Her son Imriel, who is the third in line to the throne, has been stolen away and she wants Phèdre to find him. In return, she offers knowledge, information that may lead to the breaking of the curse.

Phèdre accepts the challenge, not knowing that the search will take her to the darkest reaches of the land and her soul. And not only her--Joscelin, her love and constant companion, will also have to face the horrors that await them both.

Kushiel's Avatar does go to some dark places, but it also has some wondrous moments of light, as well. Steeped in mythology, legend, and gods, Carey continues to amaze me with the depth and detail that she puts into her world. While this book didn't capture me as completely as the first two, Carey's writing is still as beautiful and sumptuous as ever. The third book in the original trilogy, it gives a nice sense of resolve to the story while leaving opportunity to return to the characters and world. The next trilogy of books switch their focus from Phèdre and Joscelin to Imriel, and I am most definitely looking forward to reading them.

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Kushiel's Chosen

~by Jacqueline Carey
2003 Locus Award Nominee

Kushiel's Chosen is the second book in Carey's sensual fantasy/alternative history/court intrigue series Kushiel's Legacy. While it didn't grab me in quite the same way as the first book, Kushiel's Dart, the second volume was also extremely well-done and very enjoyable to read. Carey's writing is extraordinarily rich and absolutely beautiful. The world and characters she has created are marvelous.

Melisande Shahrizai, traitor to throne and country, mysteriously disappears on the eve of her execution. While still considered to be dangerous by some, other matters must first be dealt with by the Queen. When Phèdre receives a veiled message from Melisande, she feels she has no choice but to pursue her former patron and to bring her to justice, no matter what lengths she must go to.

Leaving the comforts of her inherited title and estate, Phèdre, the Comtesse de Montrève, returns to the City of Elua and the Service of Naamah. Unable to find all the information she needs at Court, she and her companions travel La Serenissima to follow what little leads they have.

Phèdre nó Delauney de Montrève continues to be a fascinating and enchanting character as she grows and learns. She is strong-willed and sure of herself, but she comes to realize that this may at times be her downfall. I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to read the next book, Kushiel's Avatar.

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Earth Begotten: The Journey of Blessed Elua

~by Jacqueline Carey

For readers of Carey's series Kushiel's Legacy, this slim book provides more background and serves as somewhat of a pre-history to Terre d'Ange, the marvelous world she has created. Earth Begotten is a brief mythology of Elua and his seven Companions from the time of the Blessed One's birth till the time he leaves the mortal world behind. Although short, it is a beautifully written legend.

Only fifty copies of this hand-printed volume where ever published. However, the text is available and can be found on the author's website-- Earth Begotten

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Kushiel's Dart

~by Jacqueline Carey
2001 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award Winner
2002 Gaylactic Spectrum Award Nominee
2002 Locus Award Winner
2002 Locus Award Nominee

As a courtesan spy, Phèdre nó Delauney is no ordinary heroine. Nor is she an ordinary courtesan. Born with a scarlet mote in her eye, she has been marked by Kushiel, the god of Judgement, to be both cursed and blessed to find pain and pleasure together. Her homeland is Terre d'Ange, a land of exquisite beauty where the blood of the gods flow through its people's veins. It is a land where prostitution has been sanctified and "Love as you wilt," is the most sacred commandment.

But all is not well in Terre d'Ange. The king is aging and has no heir. The court is filled with traitors. The land is threatened by impending war. But when Phèdre stumbles upon a deadly conspiracy, she is the only one in a position to save her beloved homeland.

Kushiel's Dart is Jacqueline Carey's debut novel. Her prose is absolutely gorgeous and while being very detailed is not boring. There is explicit, but not gratuitous, sex and violence, so this book is not for everyone. I enjoyed the novel very much, and look forward to reading the rest of Kushiel's Legacy.

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