Kushiel’s Chosen (2002)
Written by: Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 678 (Paperback)
Series: Kushiel’s Legacy Book #2
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Why I Chose It: After finding almost every Jacqueline Carey book set in the land of Terre d’Ange at a library book sale, I decided that it was fate for me to read all nine books for my 2019 Speculative Chic resolution.
The premise:
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.
Mild Spoilers.
Discussion: This book gets off to a slow start and unfortunately stays that way for about the first half. Phèdre believes that Melisande Shahrizai, her former lover/patron who masterminded the invasion of the Skaldi in Kushiel’s Dart, is still a threat to the throne and Terre d’Ange. Phèdre returns to the service of Naamah as a courtesan to uncover any potential plots against the queen, Ysandre de la Courcel. Joscelin, Phèdre’s bodyguard, companion, and occasional lover, is not happy about this turn of events. He begins spending more time with the Yeshuites (Christians) who want him to lead them to a new promised land. The action gets convoluted and I struggled to keep the various noble families straight.
The most intriguing parts of the first half of Kushiel’s Chosen involve a seamstress and a male prostitute. Favrielle is an indentured servant at one of the houses of the Night Court who creates a beautiful gown for Phèdre. A scar on her lip has made Favrielle unfit for the service of Naamah and she is essentially a slave. Phèdre uses the money from her first patron to free Favrielle, even though she doesn’t like her, because Phèdre was once a slave herself. It shows that Phèdre is a moral person, although not in a traditional way. Raphael is an adept of the Gentian House who uses sexual healing to cure Phèdre of nightmares. Although the first book established that both men and women are courtesans in Terre d’Ange, I think one of the most unique aspects of this world is how sex positive the people are. It was also fascinating to see Phèdre experience the service of Naamah as a patron.
Kushiel’s Chosen doesn’t truly take off until a shocking secret is revealed on page 325. This revelation leads to Phèdre being imprisoned and held hostage by pirates. It’s more than a little reminiscent of her enslavement in Skaldia in the first book, but Illyrian pirate Kazan Atrabiades has unexpected depths. His own mother blood-cursed him for accidentally killing his brother and as a result, he is under threat by a fire dragon. He and Phèdre undergo a cleansing ritual, the thetalos, which helps her deal with the guilt and grief she feels over the deaths of so many of her loved ones. The evolution of the relationship between Kazan and Phèdre from captor/hostage to friends provided some interesting tension to this half of the book. I also enjoyed seeing the cultures of the Mediterranean equivalent countries.
I think Kushiel’s Chosen suffers from Phèdre and Joscelin being at odds with each for most of the book. Joscelin is a book boyfriend right up there with Mr. Darcy and James Fraser of Outlander. When he single-handedly storms a fortress in an attempt to rescue Phèdre, it was stunningly romantic. But they’re not just star-crossed lovers, they serve opposing gods. Phèdre is connected to Naamah, the angel of sex and pleasure, and the chosen of cruel Kushiel, who was once the punisher of God. Joscelin serves Cassiel, the warrior and Perfect Companion, whose priests are supposed to be celibate. Phèdre says, “Kushiel’s gift is cruel; I have never, ever, found any man so beautiful as Joscelin Verreuil, and no man has ever caused me so much pain” (p.265). I long to see Phèdre and Joscelin find happiness by the end of this trilogy.
In conclusion: Kushiel’s Chosen is guilty of a lot of second book in a trilogy sins—it drags, the plot gets overly complicated, and there is a side quest that goes on way too long. But I still enjoyed revisiting the fascinating world of Terre d’Ange, which is medieval yet libertine and sexually free. I’ve never meet a heroine quite like Phèdre—a masochist courtesan spy who is smart, sexy, and strong. I’m looking forward to completing the first trilogy.
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