Kushiel's Avatar

Fans of this series will be happy to know that Carey's writing chops are still there. She can write descriptive prose with the best of them. She understands pacing and never lets the pace drag, despite the length of the novel. Anyone expecting the tautly plotted political intrigue of the first two books in this series will be surprised, however. Sure, there's some of that going on. What would a Carey book be without it? But this book is about a journey Phedre and Joscelin take, both physically and spiritually. We see more growth in their characters and their relationship in this installment than in the previous two put together. We see Phedre given the choice to be free of her anguisette nature forever, but at a terrible cost. We see her at the mercy of an abuser even more brutal and amoral than Melisande, who degrades her so thoroughly that she is reduced to begging for more torture and loathes her own nature in a way she never has. We also see her exalted and empowered. We see her bereft of everything she loves, but finally gifted with more than she ever dared to hope for. There is no question that Phedre is one of the most complex characters in modern fantasy. Her bizarre nature may occlude her nobility to some, but for those who perceive that she embodies loyalty, self-sacrifice, and love, she stands as one of the truly great creations in the genre. I cannot recommend this book, and indeed this series, in sufficiently strong terms. Buy this book, but read the other two first.

"Kushiel's Avatar," is the last book in Jacqueline Carey's dramatic trilogy of life in a world similar to Earth, during a period reminiscent of our Renaissance. This fantastic romantic adventure is every bit as exciting as Ms. Carey's first two books, "Kushiel's Dart" and "Kushiel's Chosen," and a very worthy conclusion. (Although there are still some loopholes left - tiny ones, but just enough room for another book to slip through. Always hoping)!Ten years have past since we last saw our lash-loving lady, the true "anguisette," Phedre no Delauney, Comtesse de Montreve, peer of Terre d'Ange. She and her beloved companion, the Cassiline apostate, Joscelin Verreuil have been residing on their estates and maturing with grace and beauty. But neither is able to forget the fate of Phedre's childhood friend Hyacinthe and the terrible sacrifice he made in order that a queen be crowned and peace reign. Nothing less than discovering the most secret and holy name of the "One God" will do to free him - an almost impossible task to accomplish which will involve traveling over continents and seas, in what I believe is the most awesome adventure of them all! Then Melisande Shahrizai, Phedre's nemesis and patron of old, surfaces and begs a boon - I won't even go there. You'll have to read the book.The adventures of Phedre and friends are every bit as breathtaking, if not more so, than those in preceding books. Ms. Carey has explored various religions and forms of spirituality in her other novels - religions resembling Christianity and Judaism, and others where gods and demigods are worshipped, similar to those of ancient Greece and Rome. In this, the last part of the trilogy, the author pulls all her characters and their adventures together to show a bigger pattern and spiritual purpose. In other words, there is an author's message. These folks are not just hanging out to have fun while risking life and limb...and lash! Phedre discovers that her service to Kushiel has served a much higher cause than she ever thought possible, and has been integrated into the service of all whom she has served. Ms. Carey gives additional depth and dimension to her characters and story with this last touch. A terrific conclusion to a superb epic fantasy!JANA

After reading the first book in this series -- KUSHIEL'S DART, which was incredible -- I wondered if Ms. Carey could keep her stories interesting and her characters growing. My estimation of the trilogy fell a little with KUSHIEL'S CHOSEN -- less exciting than the first but still an involving story -- but KUSHIEL'S AVATAR more than proves that Jaqueline Carey is a master. Set a decade after the end of KUSHIEL'S CHOSEN, the book starts off strong with a mysterious letter from Phedre's down-but-never-out adversary, the beautiful and deadly Melisande, quiet in exile these ten years. The adventure begins immediately and doesn't end until the last page, with Phedre on a dangerous double quest: to locate a missing person whose very existence threatens Terre d'Ange, and to find a way to set her childhood best friend free of the geis that will otherwise bind him for eternity. AVATAR has all the adventure, eroticism, intrigues, and creative twists of DART, with none of CHOSEN's slowness. Joscelin and Phedre have both matured immensely, and the relationship between them is well-drawn and plays almost painfully into the plot. Melisande spends less time as a major player, but her shadow is everywhere, lending the story another layer of mystery. There is also a delightful new character on the scene, whose inclusion adds new depth to Phedre and Joscelin, and who helps to bring the cycle to a satisfactory -- indeed excellent -- close. The only drawback is that there are no more Phedre novels!

"Anguisette" Comtesse Phedre has for the most part over the past decade lived in domestic tranquillity with her loyal swordsman Joscelin though she also meets the demands of her demi-gods to feel pain when making love by annually taking on a few "lovers". However, her former lover and rival, Melisande, imprisoned in a temple for an unsuccessful coup, asks Phedre for help. Melisande's son, Imriel vanished. If Phèdre rescues Imriel, Melisande will provide the location of the lost tribe of Dan, whose elders reportedly know the hidden Name. Phèdre and Joscelin quickly learn that slavers heading south abducted Imriel. They follow the trail to the Pharaoh of Menekhet who informs them that the lad was taken to the nightmarish Drujan, headed by The Conqueror of Death and bloody priests who kill, seemingly by magic, for any slight. Imriel is the sacrifice that authenticates the Conqueror's dominance. Phèdre knows she needs to get inside so she arranges for Joscelin to sell her to the Conqueror of Death as a sex slave.The latest Kushiel tale is fantasy at its most powerfully visual best. The story line is colorful as the audience journeys with the heroine on her trek to what is the equivalent of Africa. The lead protagonists as expected are complete individuals so that fans understand their motives and how each interacts with others in adventurous scenarios while the secondary characters appear so authentic that the depth of the plot is as deep as a tale seemingly can become. Though better if read after the first two novels, KUSHIEL'S AVATAR could stand-alone to the delight of an appreciative genre.Harriet Klausner

I don't want to discuss too much of the plot -- there would be too many spoilers -- but Carey does a very thorough job of wrapping up all the loose ends leftover from her middle novel "Kushiel's Chosen"... Phedre's quest to free Hyacinthe and its links to the One God, the whereabouts of Melisande's son Imriel, the mysterious bronze edge of power in Phedre's voice... She answers all the questions we were left with before.At times the book is a touch melodramatic, and there are definitely a few slow spots, but if you enjoyed "Kushiel's Dart" and "Kushiel's Chosen," I highly recommend the final book in this trilogy. (If you haven't read either of the first two books, I recommend you start with those, because you won't be nearly as caught up in the characters' histories without them). For those people who complained about "Kushiel's Chosen," don't worry -- the scope of the novel definitely extends beyond a Phedre-Melisande contest of wills (taking us to new countries and introducing the power of new gods, no less), Phedre grows as a character (much better than she was in "K's Chosen," though I still liked her best in "K's Dart"), and the ending is satisfying (if slightly bittersweet). Despite the few flaws I mentioned earlier, I thought this book was worth the wait... You know a novel is good when you finish it and find yourself wishing the series wasn't over! Anyone know if Carey is planning to write more novels set in Terra D'Ange?