ISBN: 044661002X
From the Publisher:
Kushiel's Scion is the fourth book in Jacqueline Carey's Terre d'Ange. The preceeding titles are: Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar. All there of these are told from Phedre's (Imriel's adopted mother) point of view, so this book is a bit different, as it's told from Imriel's view.
I have to say, I appreciated the change of pace, between Avatar and Scion. The three previous books were getting darker and darker, coming to a very dramatic head in Avatar. I felt quite emotionally wretched for a few days after reading that one, so it was nice to leave Scion feeling quite good about it.
I won't go into the details, as I don't want to ruin it. I really enjoyed seeing the old cast of characters, even from a slightly different view point. While you can't start with this book, you'll definitely not need to re-read Avatar to understand it. Carey does an excellent job of filling in the back-story without re-telling the story.
I loved Imriel's voice, his internal wars, and his desire to be good. It's not often that you have a character with this much baggage, and this much emotion to be written so well.
There is far less sex, and it is far less graphic than the other three books. There is definitely sex in it, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who hasn't reached their majority, but it just seems... less... than the other three books - which is fine. I had no desire to read about Imriel's conquests, per se.
I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to read the next one (Kushiel's Justice), which is due out in June. Yay!
[NOTE: I have to say that I quite enjoy the art on this series. Seriously, though? I felt a little choked that they used Phedre again for the cover of Scion. She's really not in the book, not hardly at all, as Imriel spends the majority of the book overseas. While her tattoo is kind of the "logo" of the series, it would have been nice to work it into the cover in an alternate way, rather than displaying her back, with a shadowed man in the background (I assume that's Imriel). I'm pleased to see that Justice has moved away from the tattoo, and while it's still an absolutely beautiful cover, it seems to indicate that the story is moving away from Phedre, as it should.]
From the Publisher:
Imriel de la Courcel's birth parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phedre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions. Stolen, tortured and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood; third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty and desire. It is a court steeped in deeply laid conspiracies---and there are many who would see the young prince dead. Some despise him out of hatred for his mother, Melisande, who nearly destroyed the entire realm in her quest for power. Others because they fear he has inherited his mother's irresistible allure---and her dangerous gifts. As he comes of age, plagued by unwanted desires, Imriel shares their fears. When a simple act of friendship traps Imriel in a besieged city where the infamous Melisande is worshiped as a goddess and where a dead man leads an army, the Prince must face his greatest test: to find his true self.
Kushiel's Scion is the fourth book in Jacqueline Carey's Terre d'Ange. The preceeding titles are: Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar. All there of these are told from Phedre's (Imriel's adopted mother) point of view, so this book is a bit different, as it's told from Imriel's view.
I have to say, I appreciated the change of pace, between Avatar and Scion. The three previous books were getting darker and darker, coming to a very dramatic head in Avatar. I felt quite emotionally wretched for a few days after reading that one, so it was nice to leave Scion feeling quite good about it.
I won't go into the details, as I don't want to ruin it. I really enjoyed seeing the old cast of characters, even from a slightly different view point. While you can't start with this book, you'll definitely not need to re-read Avatar to understand it. Carey does an excellent job of filling in the back-story without re-telling the story.
I loved Imriel's voice, his internal wars, and his desire to be good. It's not often that you have a character with this much baggage, and this much emotion to be written so well.
There is far less sex, and it is far less graphic than the other three books. There is definitely sex in it, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who hasn't reached their majority, but it just seems... less... than the other three books - which is fine. I had no desire to read about Imriel's conquests, per se.
I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to read the next one (Kushiel's Justice), which is due out in June. Yay!
[NOTE: I have to say that I quite enjoy the art on this series. Seriously, though? I felt a little choked that they used Phedre again for the cover of Scion. She's really not in the book, not hardly at all, as Imriel spends the majority of the book overseas. While her tattoo is kind of the "logo" of the series, it would have been nice to work it into the cover in an alternate way, rather than displaying her back, with a shadowed man in the background (I assume that's Imriel). I'm pleased to see that Justice has moved away from the tattoo, and while it's still an absolutely beautiful cover, it seems to indicate that the story is moving away from Phedre, as it should.]
Labels: Fantasy
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