Kushiel's Dart: Epic Dark Fantasy with an Unusual Heroine
Written: Jul 13 '02 (Updated Jul 14 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting, imaginative setting, quality writing. Highly original in many aspects.
Cons: Unsympathetic characters. Graphic sex mixed with violence will be disturbing to many. Little humor.
The Bottom Line: Fantasy epic heavy on sex, religion, and political intrigue. Little magic. Fans of dark fantasy may want to give it a try. S&M fans definitely will.
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| ebolles's Full Review: Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel's Dart: Library Edition |
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey is one of those rare books I find difficult to rate. I should probably give this novel four stars because it is unquestionably above average in many ways, but its flaws are serious enough that I can't bring myself to rate it more than three stars. I doubt I ever would have finished reading it if I had not been implored to do so by someone who loved it. Finishing this seven hundred page plus book was a chore.
Europe molded by an alternate Christianity
The setting for this epic story (apparently the first in a trilogy) was the most interesting part of the novel for me. The world Carey has imagined is fascinating in many ways and the detail is remarkable. It is a pseudo-Europe of the Middle Ages, recognizable from a similarity of names, cultures, and geography but one altered by a very different religion, based partly on stories from Christianity. In this fantasy-but-familiar world (it is not technically similar enough to qualify as an alternate history) almost no sexual preference is taboo.
I found the world of the novel interesting for its stark differences to the medieval Europe we know, such as its tolerance of a wide range of sexual expression, the supposed rarity of rape, and condoning of prostitution on religious grounds (although these supposedly holy prostitutes are still disparagingly referred to as “w-hores” by the general populace). Also, the representations of the island of Alba (England) and Eire (Ireland) and the Skaldians (Germanic tribes) were for the most part well done and interesting, as was the complexity of the society of Terra D’Ange (roughly modern day France), where most of the story is set. But even so, the backdrop was not enough to sustain my interest.
The Story of a Courtesan Spy
Phedre is a courtesan but she is special, an anguisette, divinely marked by a spot of red in one eye. The first of her kind to be born for three generations, she is the ultimate masochist and her uniqueness puts her in an excellent position to be used as a spy. Until she has earned enough gifts from patrons (johns, we might say) to complete her “marque” (a tattoo up her spine) she is a type of indentured servant to her master, Delauney, who she adores for having recognized her uniqueness and saved her from an ordinary courtesan’s life. Phedre is trained to relay what secrets she can from her powerful and political clientele for Delauney’s mysterious ends. The book chronicles Phedre’s childhood, her work as a courtesan, and the adventures that befall her when she eventually becomes embroiled in intrigues to overthrow the queen of Terra D’Ange and change the rule of lands beyond it as well.
Not for everyone - probably not for most
There are many possible reasons to dislike this book. The religion of the land is a twist on Christianity that could easily offend some, and the graphic violence and sexuality (often together) can be quite disturbing. Even more limiting, for those fantasy readers who like epic struggles to be clearly between forces of good and evil (as many do), the shades of gray in this book may prove unsatisfying. The first two issues were not problems for me, but the third was, and ties into my main problem with this book, the reason it fell flat for me despite all its accomplishments: the unsympathetic characters, especially the main one.
A Heroine that Left Me Cold
At first, I found Phedre’s first person narrative interesting because of her smooth, distinct voice. Her abandonment by her parents at the very beginning of the story also pushed the necessary sympathy buttons. But as the story progressed I kept waiting for events to occur that would make me really care about what happened to her. I never did. In fact, I liked her less and less. The problem: Phedre’s strangeness as a protagonist was never offset with enough I could identify with or admire. If you are creating a character so strikingly different from most readers – one who relishes pain, repeatedly uses sex and suffers sexual abuse to get what she wants, even murders innocent people – she had better have some very weighty admirable qualities to sympathize with. Most of all, her motivations for doing these thing must be strong. But for me, Phedre’s character was built on shaky ground from the start.
A supposedly admirable pimp and a few other examples of quicksand in the plot...
There are many examples of problems in characterization and plot that made me increasingly disinterested in this story, but I will just present a few. One example: Phedre’s love for her master Delauney is at the base of her motivation for much of what she does. But his portrayal is not only too mysterious to be likable at all, but he is also a man who raises a child to be a prostitute and a spy and suffer terrible physical abuse. Despite repeatedly attempts to justify his actions – the heroine really likes it, she always has the choice not to do anything she doesn’t want to, it’s her destiny, Delauney feels bad about it at times, etc. – it just does not wash with me. Because he was never a likable character much of what Phedre did on his behalf seemed undeserved and even pathetic at times.
Another example is Phedre’s supposed arch-enemy, a beautiful and sinister noblewoman, who is the ultimate S to Phedre’s M (S&M). The fact that Phedre claims to love deeply this woman she knows mainly from a one night stand and whose actions she despises, makes Phedre seem shallow and also diminishes her supposed affection for other characters she knows much better. To further her goals, Phedre also murders or helps bring about the deaths of people who were kind to her. She bemoans the murders and repeats how terrible she feels about them, but she keeps killing, and her narrative voice sounded increasingly hollow and insincere to me. Even worse, her actions are never really justified in my mind. In an attempt to depict a complex world with so many shades of gray, the book went too far and left me wondering why the side Phedre was fighting for even deserved to triumph.
Other Weaknesses
Unlike many fantasy epics, magic is not central to the story. The focus is more on politics and intrigue than the supernatural, although religion does play a central role. The use of magic in the book is sporadic and at first limited mostly to brief bits of fortunetelling. When near the end there is suddenly a enormous supernatural force that appears and heavily influences the plot, I found it awkward and forced. There is also an unfortunate lack of humor throughout most of the story. The grand scale and relentless heavy tone of the book could have been greatly helped by some comic relief. Finally, there were several long slow spots that weighed down the plot. The beginning, in particular, could have used more editing.
And yet...
But in the interest of fairness, again I must say that there are exceptional aspects to this book. The writing is polished, sometimes striking, and with the exception of some repetitive descriptions of people, far above average. The imaginative detail of the world is superb, and the book is dramatically unique in many ways with little formula to be found. Some of the supporting characters are interesting and well drawn. I do not recommend this book to most readers, but fans of dark, adult fantasy might want to give it a try. If you can like the heroine, there's a good chance you will enjoy this unusual book.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ebolles
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Member: Elizabeth
Location: 420 17' N 710 25' W
Reviews written: 38
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About Me:
Aspiring novelist who enjoys harassing fish, taking blurry underwater photos and self-medicating with chocolate.
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