Starred review from April 24, 2006
The magnificent fourth book in Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series marks the start of a new trilogy set in Terre d'Ange, the author's reimagined Renaissance world. The story picks up where volume three, Kushiel's Avator
(2003), left off, though Imriel nó Montrève de la Courcel, a prince of the blood, now narrates in place of the unforgettable heroine of the previous books, Phèdre nó Delauney. As a boy, Imriel is abandoned by his treasonous parents and subjected to terrible indignities by pirates. Later rescued and adopted by Phèdre, he grows into a position of authority and learns many skills, including sexual prowess. He has a torrid affair with a married woman, and finally survives a terrible siege at a walled city he courageously defends. The specter of Imriel's sinister, absent mother, Melisande Shahrizai, looms over the action. Credible and gripping, this is heroic fantasy at its finest.
Starred review from June 15, 2006
Born the son of two of the Kingdom of Terre d'Ange's most infamous traitors, Imriel de la Courcel has grown to near-manhood under the loving care of the Comtesse of Montreve and her consort, two of the land's greatest heroes. Seeking to find his calling and gain experience as someone other than a -Prince of the Blood, - Imriel travels to the country of Tiberium. When political intrigue sparks the city to riot, catching Imriel in its midst, the young man must confront his true self to find the path he was born to follow. Carey (the -Kushiel's Legacy - series -Kushiel's Dart; Kushiel's Chosen; Kushiel's Avatar) has taken her tale of a land blessed by the gods into a new generation as the sons and daughters of familiar characters search for ways to leave their mark on the world. Her exotic alternate earth, set in a Renaissance-like time of cultural flowering and sensual gratification, provides a lush backdrop for a cast of compelling and fascinating characters. With particular appeal to fans of Terry Goodkind, Tanith Lee, and Storm Constantine, this evocative debut in a new trilogy, strong enough to stand on its own but enriched by other series titles, belongs in most libraries.
Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from May 15, 2006
Traitorous parents, the curse of Kushiel's blood in his veins, and the unspeakable crimes he endured while a child slave severely damaged Imriel. Feeling tainted and incapable of goodness, he fears he will misuse Kushiel's gift. Yet he is compelled to overcome the dark forces that shaped him. The love of Phedre and Joscelin, his beloved adoptive parents and Terre d'Ange's greatest champions, has helped him heal. He does an excellent job of comporting himself as a prince of the blood, third in line from the throne, until he turns 18. Then the conflicts raging within threaten to overwhelm him. Pushed beyond his limits by his first visit to Valerian House with his Shahrizai cousins and angry with the powerful, twisted desire that is Kushiel's legacy, in an impulsive moment he flashes up at Phedre--and changes his world irrevocably. He is now on his path to adulthood, first stop Tiberium. Traveling and living simply, he hopes to find himself. Evoking the same stunned awe that the tryptych of " Kushiel's Dart "(2001), " Kushiel's Cho"sen (2002), and " Kushiel's Avatar" (2003) did, the Imriel trilogy is off to a smashing start. Uncommonly self-aware, young Imriel, in his maturing thoughts and emotions, is a tremendously believable, sympathetic character. Meanwhile, Carey continues thoughtfully and respectfully re-envisioning S&M in images of beauty, power, and eroticism firmly rooted in the sacred. Intelligent, sexy, heartbreakingly human, Carey at her intoxicating best.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)