Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Jacqueline Carey

"Kushiel's Avatar"
Message Board

Review Summaries

" Tor, Apr 2003, 27.95, 702 pp. ISBN: 0312872402 "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

Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout. "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Jacqueline Carey Scholar

Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!

Overall Review

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - rescue mission/escape from confinement
Repressive society story Yes
Repressive because: - controls your sex
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Religious overtones? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mage/magician
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

Most similar books by Gordonator ranking
Medalon by Jennifer Fallon
The Lion of Senet by Jennifer Fallon
The Elder Gods by David and Leigh Eddings
The Ring Of Five Dragons by Eric Van Lustbader
The Piaculum by Richard Gray

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Book search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed book search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 8/27/2008 6:32:04 PM

Alien Hunter : Alien Hunter 8/27/2008 3:15:14 AM

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 8/26/2008 8:21:36 AM

Charmed: What kind of name is Piper for a girl? 8/20/2008 5:34:24 PM

Blade Runner: Blade Runner 8/14/2008 11:21:07 PM

The Mask: The Mask 8/14/2008 11:06:36 PM

Young Frankenstein: Young Frankenstein 8/10/2008 12:10:26 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 8/8/2008 6:19:08 AM

Xena: How could anyone like Joxer? 8/7/2008 3:37:46 AM

Space 1999: Silliest Episode 7/30/2008 2:49:34 PM

Newest slaves:
Heather Locklear (Melrose Place) 12:11:50 AM
Lao Mama Jr. 12:11:20 AM
Clone Trooper 12:11:11 AM
Nikita (Peta Wilson) 12:10:06 AM
Adria 12:10:03 AM
General Grievous (Grevious) 12:08:41 AM
Heather Graham 12:08:04 AM
Willow (Alyson Hannigan) 12:07:50 AM
Christina Aguilera 12:07:46 AM
Cameron Diaz 12:07:42 AM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)