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Book Review of Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy, Bk 1)

Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy, Bk 1)
rainstormdragon avatar reviewed on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


A masochistic prostitute is trained for espionage in Terre d'Ange, a country ruled by a sect of Christianity whose highest law is "Love as thou wilt"... Not a book I would really have expected to get into.

But do not be fooled by the heroine's upbringing as a prostitute and the blatant S&M overtones- this is a well-written, well-plotted book, filled with political intrigue, an esquisite portrayal of an alternate history, and characters that win your heart and make you laugh. Phedre is certainly a unique heroine- not only is she proud of her status as the only living "anguisette", she considers it a religious calling and has no higher ambitions in life. But when events put her in a unique position to save her homeland and the people she loves from utter obliteration, damned if she doesn't rise to the occasion.

I don't recommend this for younger readers (this is definitely an NC-17 rating) or extremely devout Christians, but I'd definitely encourage serious readers of historical fiction and political intrigue to read it- you might be surprised to find how deep and absorbing a read it is.