Kushiel's Chosen

By: Jacqueline Carey

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The inhabiting race rose from the seed of angels and men, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by a nobleman, the first to recognize that she is one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. He trained Phèdre in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber---and, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze.

When she stumbled upon a plot that threatened the very foundations of her homeland, she gave up almost everything she held dear to save it. She survived, and lived to have others tell her story, and if they embellished the tale with fabric of mythical splendor, they weren't far off the mark. The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre's brow, and they are not finished with her. While the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe another should wear the crown...and those who escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with their schemes for power and revenge.

©2008 Jacqueline Carey (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"There is seemingly something for everyone here: a great love story, intense spirituality, high eroticism, and lots of adventure, intrigue, and swordplay." ( Booklist Starred Review)
"Reminiscent of the best efforts of Tanith Lee and Anne Rice.... Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

Getting #3 next!

What did you love best about Kushiel's Chosen?

Plot twists

What did you like best about this story?

The evolution of the characters

What does Anne Flosnik bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Voice is pleasant

Any additional comments?

My daughter in law recommended the series....thank you Melissa!

Narrator makes the world shine

read the first book over 13yrs ago. was a tedious read. but after listening to first audio. narrator has me craving to hear more ... well done

Love

Absolutely absolutely love Jacqueline Carey with her novels. They are the best love reading and listening.

Perhaps even better than Book 1.

Note: It is possible to read this book as a stand alone as relevant events from Book 1 are reflected upon in enough detail for a reader of Book 2 to grasp the point. However, I highly recommend reading Book 1 as it is just so damn good!

We return once again to the alternate history of Terre D’Ange (France) and the surrounding lands. Book 2 picks up several months after Book 1 ended. Melisande Sharhizai is still at large. However, very early in Book 2 our heroine Phedre receives a challenge of sorts from Melisande – her sangoire cloak is returned to her via a carrier from Caerdicca Unitas (Italy) and more specifically La Serenissima (Venice). Phedre truly believes that Terre D’Ange and the queen (Ysandre) are in danger so long as Melisande is free. The challenge sets in motion events that will change Phedre’s life forever.

Here we have another masterfully crafted book from Jacqueline Carey. Sometimes sequels aren’t near as good as the first in the series but this series holds it’s own weight as it progresses. I have read this book several times now and this is my second time listening to it. First, I love how the characters continue to grow and how the world continues to expand as Phedre’s travels take her further afield. Second, Melisande continues to make a most worthy opponent. Phedre definitely has her work cut out for her in this book!

Once again, we are told the story through Phedre’s eyes. She was raised in the Court of the Night Blooming flowers and being subservient and unseen (expect maybe as a pretty plaything) comes easily to her. She polished off her training in Anafiel Delaunay’s house where she learned history, politics, languages, and how to think in a rational manner. Both served her well in Book 1 and they do so again in Book 2. Yet this journey she comes to understand her powers a bit more – her will power to live, her ability to forgive, her strength to deny Melisande. That which yields, is not always weak (a quote from Kushiel’s Dart).

There were two interesting themes that twined throughout the novel: loyalty and grief. Again and again, we see Phedre and other characters having to figure out where their loyalties really lie – with queen and country? To the deities they serve? To family? I think Joscelin struggled the most with this one. Grief made an interesting thread throughout the book. What is a mortal’s grief compared to the grief of a goddess? How do you mourn the passing of something not of a physical nature, such as friendship or love? These were some big ideas to contemplate even as my mind was fully engaged in the day to day decisions of the characters.

This time through, I listened to the book as part of a read along. It was a great experience and let me see things about the book I had not seen before. For instance, I had not really noticed before that Phedre is, on occasion, a little bit of a snob. Now I see it in small things and I see how it ties to her upbringing and culture. This in turn let’s me see it in other Terre D’Ange characters. And this leads to a nuanced part of the plot of this book – how Terre D’Ange has been a bit xenophobic towards other cultures for too long and it has cost them in the larger arena of politics. This book (and the entire series) is awesome because you can reread it and take something new away each time.

As with Kushiel’s Dart, there is also plenty of sex and it is told in just as much detail as the rest of the story. You may blush a bit. The sex scenes serve to show certain aspects of the characters involved or to move the plot forward. I never feel that space is wasted on these scenes. Plus, some of them are rather educational in and of themselves. ;)

As with Book 1, I was completely swept up into Phedre’s world once again. Jacqueline Carey makes great use of languages to round out a culture. If you’re a bit of a linguistics geek, you will love this aspect of the series. It’s a rich world, a devilishly intriguing plot, and characters you will never forget. Reading it the 7th time was just as good as reading it the first time.

The Narration: Anne Flosnik is once again the voice of Phedre, and a great fit she is too! Phedre’s voice is how we experience the story and, hence, Phedre’s emotions come through the loudest. Flosnik did a great job imbuing the characters with emotions, but especially, Phedre. My heart broke and soared for her multiple times throughout the tale! The linguistics keep piling up in this series and Flosnik met the challenge magnificnetly.

By far, my favourite book series ever!

Start at the beginning of this series! This book is brilliant all by itself, but I really encourage readers to start with Kushiel's Dart. Jacqueline Carey has a brilliance that to me, is unparalleled in modern times. She crafts each sentence with an evocative mastery that is breathtaking. And out of her mind comes a parallel world that draws together elements of common cultures in a fantasy that is truly uncommon. Set aside prejudices and perceptions, and this book will pull you into a tale of political intrigue, impossible love, sacrifice, and the best villainess ever conceived (IMHO!).

And Anne Flosknik nails it. I wasn't sure about her as a narrator for my favourite book series, but her performance was exceptional!

another fantastic book and performance!

loved this second book of the Kushiels Legacy series just as much as the first! Narrator did a just amazing job and the story itself was rich with detail and intriguing. Absolutely loved it.

Great story, great narrator

This is a great story, and very well narrated. The thread of the story gets a little unspooled in the second half of the book, but the payoff is worth it and overall it’s very compelling.

I want more!!

I was hooked from the first book. Can’t wait to start the next! Great author!

Finally more fantasy!

I enjoyed the second, book more I like more fantasy in a tale as this, that talks about all these unique Gods. I feel the author has a great ability in setting the scene and describing the atmosphere and characters. This book has betrayal, blind trust, stubborn determination, and true love of course.

I love this series and have read it many times.

This is more than a romance with a swooning woman. The lead character is strong yet afraid and makes mistakes.