ISBN: 0-312-87240-2 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
A wonderful, dark but uplifting conslusion to an excellent trilogy, this book features darkness and courage, suffering and victory.
Reviewed by David on February 01, 2004
Genre: Fantasy (War, Mild BDSM, Slavery)
Synopsis: In a world much like Renaissance Europe, centrally located Terre D'Ange claims to have been founded by the Angels—and worship all shapes of love and beauty. Among various interpretations of that love is the physical, and a special mention is given to anguisettes, the semi-legendary chosen of Angel Kushiel, marked at birth and blessed—or cursed—to find pleasure in pain.
Phèdre is one of these rare people. Once an indentured servant, and a slave sold to an enemy tribe, she is now an honored friend of the queen, a noblewoman with her own mansion, with a small but devoted staff, and best of all with her beloved consort Joscelin.
Her peaceful existence is disturbed when an old enemy asks to find her missing son, and offers a long-sought secret in return. The combination of compassion and guilt drive Phèdre to accept this assignment. However, her quest will prove far more painful then she expects, and the takes far more than the life of a child.
Full Review: As in the previous books, Carey makes an excellent job of skewing the familiar world just enough to make it exotic, and smoothly combining the familiar names and myths with a touch of the new and strange. Her heroine—Phèdre—is a wonderful vehicle, vulnerable in many ways and yet incredibly strong where it counts. She is physically weak, and subject to sexual desire from pain. And yet her courage, intelligence, and in the end, compassion, prove the keystone of victory, both fr herself and for those she inspires.
The combination of excellent world-building, well-defined characters, and the plot that goes through intense trial to well-deserved triumphs make this a truly memorable book, as well as as worthy capstone to a remarkable trilogy.
Overall: 7.5; Plot: 7; Characters: 7.5; Style: 7; World-building: 7.5; Originality: 9;
Copyright date 2003, Tom Doherty Associates (Tor), April 2003, Cloth, 702 pages
ISBN: 0-312-87240-2 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com