Romance Lovers for the Challenge-Impaired discussion

Kushiel's Dart, by Jacqueline Carey

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good... and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission... and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair... and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel's Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.

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A few of us brave souls are going to take on this behemoth! Please, feel free to join us.

Reserved.

I'm in.

I'm in!!

I'm in

I love this book! Well, the whole series, really. Hope you guys like it and don't mind me popping in to see what you think :D

Kit★ wrote: " don't mind me popping in to see what you think :D"

We'd love to have you Kit :)

I'll be a day or 2 late starting this one. I am about %60 done with my current book and I have my Chinese class tonight and I haven't finished my homework yet :P

I'm starting this now. ; )

I'll start tonight.

I'll start in a couple of hours.

Mmmm can someone translate this to English?

ShoSho wrote: "Mmmm can someone translate this to English?"

I know, right? This book is very hard to get into. I've only read the first 2 chapters. Had to put it down. I'm still walking past it as it's lying face down on the coffee table. It's 7:38am here so will have some coffee, toast, and fruit first before I dive in.

It took me ages to read 2 chapters last night and by the time I finished chapter 2 I really needed to go to bed.
Hopefully it'll get easier after getting used to the writer's writing style.

I agree, the writing is dense and a bit difficult to "digest", the Elua info dump didn't help either.

Ch.5 Mostly exposition so far, the foreshadowing is heavy handed at times and therefore annoying.

I've just started chapter 5. There's 96 chapters.....

Gisela wrote: "the Elua info dump didn't help either."

What I got from that was in this culture being an adept (which I think means courtesan) is a perfectly respectable occupation.

Yes, and they start training early...
Ch.9 (view spoiler)[ I confess to being uncomfortable with a pair of 14 y/o watching a live show, I keep telling myself that it's part of their culture/worship rituals but it doesn't work. The only saving grace was that they weren't expected to have sex yet. (hide spoiler)]

Either I got used to author's style or the narrative flows better after Phedre goes to live with Delaunay.

I'm on chapter 8.
I can't remember all these names! Too many names
I have no idea who are these people she's talking about, only that the heir to the throne has died and there are 3 princes that can take throne. Right?

ShoSho wrote: "I'm on chapter 8.
I can't remember all these names! Too many names
I have no idea who are these people she's talking about, only that the heir to the throne has died and there are 3 princes that c..."

ShoSho, I think you're right. Lots of names. Good thing the names are listed in the front of the book. I'm just starting chapter 8. I read and reread a lot last night so much that I got a head ache flipping back and forth to the list of names at the front of the book. I'm hoping to read much more today.

Silvia wrote: "ShoSho wrote: "I'm on chapter 8.
I can't remember all these names! Too many names
I have no idea who are these people she's talking about, only that the heir to the throne has died and there are 3..."

I'm going to ignore the who's who for now and read. It's too much effort to go back and forth like that:P

I think I'm getting used the writing, it reads easier!

Gisela wrote: "Yes, and they start training early...
Ch.9 [spoilers removed]"

Yes (view spoiler)[
Since she was 7 I was worried they would start with the sex education. I know I would have thrown the book out if that was the case! (hide spoiler)]

ShoSho wrote: "Yes Since she was 7 I was worried they would start"

Me too! (view spoiler)[I don't care how awesome a book is. I'm not interested in reading about kids having sex. (hide spoiler)]

I'm about to start chapter 11. It's getting better.

I'm starting chapt 15. ; )

Every time Phedre says "If I had known then..." makes me want to scream... It drives me nuts!

Gisela wrote: "Every time Phedre says "If I had known then..." makes me want to scream... It drives me nuts!"

I know! Sounds ominous like hard times are coming.

I'm on chapter 13, I feel bad for Alcuin. eeek

Silvia wrote: "Gisela wrote: "Every time Phedre says "If I had known then..." makes me want to scream... It drives me nuts!"

I know! Sounds ominous like hard times are coming."

Exactly! I keep waiting for something terrible to happen and then nothing does!

ShoSho wrote: "I'm on chapter 13, I feel bad for Alcuin. eeek"

I feel sorry too, though not surprised. He never showed the same eagerness Phedre did.

It seems this book is going to go int I BDSM! I thought this was fantasy!
He's telling her to chose a safe word!

I think I'm not going to continue, I just read chapter 16 and it was horrible! Have you read it yet?

I did and hated it. She was 16!!!!! BDSM is not my cup of tea... I've been struggling to relate to Phedre at least on some level but Carey makes it incredibly hard!

Ch. 19 Forgive me for shouting...(view spoiler)[ WTF?! HE BURNED HER WITH A RED HOT POKER??!!! AND SHE DIDN'T USE THE SAFE WORD!!!! I think I'm traumatized... Delaunay has every reason to be pissed but everything is ok because she never thought he would actually do it. Yeah, right. Even if she had know that he would, I don't believe that she would have used it...
(hide spoiler)]

ShoSho wrote: "I think I'm not going to continue, I just read chapter 16 and it was horrible! Have you read it yet?"


It's been awhile since I read it, what happened in chapter 16?! Lol

Phèdre's first assignation

Gisela wrote: "Ch. 19 Forgive me for shouting... WTF?! HE BURNED HER WITH A RED HOT POKER??!!! AND SHE DIDN'T USE THE SAFE WORD!!!! I think I'm traumatized... Delaunay has every reason to be pissed but everything..."

Yikes! I'm on to chap 20. I'm getting scared.....

I'm on ch. 30 and I can say that so far that's the worst that has happened to Phèdre. Although I have a bad feeling about Melisande...

Gisela wrote: "I'm on ch. 30 and I can say that so far that's the worst that has happened to Phèdre. Although I have a bad feeling about Melisande..."

I'm on chapt 22. I agree, I think Melisande is evil. (view spoiler)[I think she has something on Delaunay. I wonder what's in Delaunay's past that ties him to her. Who's he related to? What's his real name. (hide spoiler)] So many questions!!

Ch. 31 (view spoiler)[I don't have the stomach to keep reading about Phèdre's assignations. (hide spoiler)]

Phedre gets a spiritual release from the pain, like communing with the gods, and does not feel it as regular people would, because of her being marked by Kushiel, so I always had to remind myself of that when reading things that made my skin cringe in sympathetic pain for the things her clients do to her. To her, the pain is a form of worship, plus... pleasure, though pain certainly is not the feeling that gets me going, personally, lol!

On a side note, I found a cool quiz once that would sort you into one of the different houses of the Night Court, I was totally happy with my answer (Orchis House, the house of joy if I remember right). Wonder if Google-Fu could find it again for you guys. I'ma look :D

I randomly opened a few chapters last night and half of them were about Phedre getting beaten up to the point of loosing consciousness!
At this point I'm not sure I want to read more. I'm reading this for "out of comfort of zone" challenge but I thought it's length was the only thing out of my comfort zone.
I was expecting something like with a little more romance and sex scenes thrown in but what I got was a very violent fifty shades in disguise! At least Fifty shade had the romance and the funny parts to make interesting!
What I really don't like about it is how Delaunay is OK with it all!

I still might continue I'll just skip the assignations!

And Melisandre... all I can say is UGH!!!! *Boo! Hiss!*

ShoSho wrote: "I still might continue I'll just skip the assignations!"

I might skip those too. (>_<)

I'm on Ch. 34 and I still don't like Phèdre...

I don't understand why Alcuin was attacked and why it was dangerous at all. Do you? Can you explain?

Because he knew who poisoned the princess?