Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey

Terre d'Ange is a land founded by Blessed Elua, the one that was born from the messiah's blood and chose to stay on Earth out of love. Love as thou wilt, that's the sacred precept he left to all d'Angelines, a beautiful and refined people who integrated it in their everyday life.

But others than Blessed Elua are worshiped in Terre d'Ange : his Companions, the Angels that forswore the one God to follow him on his quest for love and a world filled with it. Among them, Namaah, who has lain with strangers to earn food for Elua. Cassiel, the Perfect Companion, whom the Yeshuites think will one day go back to the One God they worship. And Kushiel, the punisher, with the whip in his hand, who is said to have loved his charges too well.  

On Mont Nuit, among the thirteen Houses dedicated to Namaah, an adept is born who would be the most perfect of the Night Flowers, were it not for the scarlet mote in her left eye. Because of this imperfection, the future of the child Phedre in Mont Nuit is compromised. Untill the day Anafiel Delaunay comes and recognizes the red mote for what it is : Kushiel's Dart, marking her as an anguissette, destined to find pleasure in pain and to look in the dark mirror of humanity without fear. An extremely rare gift of the Gods.  

Delaunay adopts Phedre and sees to her education in the arts of pleasure and covercy, raising her as one of the most prized courtesans ever. In her own time, Phedre no Delaunay will use the skills she learned to help her foster father in his plans of spying on the ennemies of the crown and protecting the royal family of Terre d'Ange. But her destiny is greater than anybody could have imagined ; Kushiel's chosen, she will be betrayed by those she thought close, witness and unravel masterplans of plotting, and travel to the far confines of the known world and beyond to do the Gods's bidding.   

Through the five books of the series (the sixth one is coming in 2008), we follow the adventures of Phedre, then of her foster son, surrounded by brillant characters like Hyacinthe, the merry Tzingani lad promised to a destiny of greatness, knowledge and pain, or Josselin Verreuil, the Cassiline brother, always doubting and always choosing. Jacqueline Carey's writing is fantastic, bringing us in the midst of this Rennaissance-like world, praying for more with each turned page. From the first sentence to the end, a constant delight, never fading. These books are wonderful ; seldom have I found such pleasure in reading, and such impatience in waiting for the next one.  

Excellent writing, cleverness in the telling, touching characters and a bit of sensuality to cap it all : what more could anyone expect ?  

The books in Kushiel's Legacy :

Kushiel's Dart
Kushiel's Chosen
Kushiel's Avatar
Kushiel's Scion
Kushiel's Justice
Kushiel's Mercy (coming in 2008)

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09/06/2008

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