Book Review: Kushiel’s Avatar ☆☆☆

The land of Terre d’Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It’s inhabited by the race that rose from the seed of angels, 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 who recognized that she was pricked by Kushiel’s dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. Phèdre’s path has been strange and dangerous. She has lain with princes and pirate kings, battled a wicked temptress, and saved two nations. Through it all, the devoted swordsman Joscelin has been at her side, following the central precept of the angel Cassiel: Protect and serve.

But Phèdre’s plans will put his pledge to the test, for she has never forgotten her childhood friend Hyacinthe. She has spent ten long years searching for the key to free him from his eternal indenture to the Master of Straights, a bargain with the gods to save Phèdre and a nation. The search will take Phèdre and Joscelin across the world and down a fabled river to a forgotten land. . . and to a power so intense and mysterious, none dare speak its name.  – Goodreads

 

• Title: Kushiel’s Avatar (Phedre’s Trilogy #3)
• Author: Jacqueline Carey
• Genre: Fantasy, Romance

 

Thoughts:

This was a slow book. Of course each of the three books was at times, but this one was by far the slowest. A huge portion of the story is dedicated to traveling across large swaths of territory, and while it is always nice to be introduced to new places I found myself struggling to stay interested at times.

Also as the story begins to pick up, around page 300 or thereabouts, it gets incredibly dark. I realize this might be a personal tolerance thing, but I found it to be almost oppressive. To be fair it is meant to be dark, and at this point of the story Phedre is facing the greatest threat she has ever encountered. One that threatens not only Terre d’Ange, but the world. The stakes didn’t change the fact that I still didn’t enjoy this part of the book.

On the plus side we finally get around to helping Hyacinthe.   (SPOILER) Phedre frees him from his curse, but c’mon we all knew that was going to happen so is it really a spoiler?  I can tell you I was not a huge fan of  their kissing near the end. Don’t get me wrong I know their history, but that’s exactly what it is now after twelve years. I could almost even forgive Hyacinthe the kiss being as not much has really changed for him, but Phedre you should have more control than that! (SPOILER)   He’s my dude, and I’ve been waiting for this since the end of book one.

Then there’s Imriel.

(SPOILER)   Melisande holds a key piece of information needed in the quest to free Hyacinthe. To gain this information Phedre must agree to find Melisande’s lost son Imriel. I loved the relationship that develops between Imriel, Phedre and Joscelin. You see where it is going a mile away, but it doesn’t matter because you want it to go there.    (SPOILER)

In the end Kushiel’s Avatar wrapped things up nicely even if I found it to be less enjoyable than its predecessors. I am looking forward to reading the Imriel trilogy, but I think I need a break from the world for a bit before I start.

 

My Rating: ☆☆☆

 

Currently Reading:

• Title: Borderline (The Arcadia Project #1)
• Author: Mishell Baker
• Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy