So you wrote a highly-successful trilogy. Congratulations! What now? Well, you could write a sequel trilogy: new narrator, same old world and intrigue. Some writers want to milk the cash cow for all it's worth. Other writers, like Jacqueline Carey, create worlds compelling enough to justify returning to them time and again. Sinking into Kushiel's Scion is like having an old friend come to visit: all the things that you remember are there, but time has passed, and with it has come change. So you get to know each other again, laugh over old jokes, and share new ones.Imriel is really the only logical choice for narrator of this trilogy. He belongs to the next generation, and although he is third-in-line to the throne of Terre d'Ange, he is first-in-line to inherit the political turmoil set in motion by his exiled mother, Melisande. It's fitting from a dramatic perspective as well, for Imriel is Phèdre's adopted son, a successor of sorts for her. The son of the antagonist of the previous trilogy is the protagonist of the new trilogy, and his first order of business is related to exactly that issue: who the hell is Imriel de la Courcel, and is he good?I kept on waiting for something to happen in this book. At each turn I expected someone—Imriel—to get kidnapped or beaten or framed for a crime. That last one sort of happens, and it is a minor if important event. I was looking for something big, something that would incite action and drive the rest of the plot, much like Imriel's kidnapping drives the plot of Kushiel's Avatar. That kind of plot bomb is absent from Kushiel's Scion. Most of the book covers the span of years prior to Imriel's coming-of-age, at which point he leaves for the university at Tiberium. Then, in the second movement, if you will, we get some action that influences Imriel's outlook, prompting him to return to the City of Elua for the book's recapitulation.Now I realize I was doing what many other reviewers have done, which is compare Kushiel's Scion to Kushiel's Avatar. I think it's natural to want to compare two consecutive books in a series, and from the perspective of writing quality it's a valid comparison to make. Nevertheless, Kushiel's Avatar is the concluding volume in a trilogy, and as such its plot is constructed differently from Kushiel's Scion, which is the beginning of a trilogy. It's far more apt to compare this book with that other beginning, Kushiel's Dart. Indeed, then we see the similarities emerge.As Kushiel's Dart does with Phèdre, this book quickly covers a number of years during Imriel's youth. Imriel is of noble birth, but both our narrators are outsiders to nobility, for he was raised as an orphan and a goatherd. Moreover, both of them have psychic burdens they will bear for the rest of their lives: Phèdre, of course, is Kushiel's chosen; Imriel has Daršanga, as well as the shadow of his mother's betrayal hanging over his deeds. Kushiel's Dart is Phèdre's coming-of-age novel, the story of how she comes to terms with who she is and ends up embracing a life into which she has been manipulated by Anafiel and Melisande. Likewise, Kushiel's Scion is Imriel's story of growing up. He is part of the Courcel family yet not a part, part of the Shahrizai family yet not a part. Restless from this sense of not belonging, he eventually strikes off beyond Terre d'Ange to seek some sense of direction. It's not adversity that Imriel needs; it's reassurance that he can be good, that he is not a slave to fate.As far as the change in narrators goes, I think they're really interchangeable. Phèdre was a great narrator, and so is Imriel, because they're both Carey narrating with a single voice, one which uses a somewhat archaic, stilted vocabulary and syntax. I don't mean to say that they are the same person, and if you replaced Imriel with Phèdre, you'd definitely have a very different story. Yet the style of narration remains the same, which is both reassuring and a little disappointing.Also much the same are the politics. I love the politics in this series. Carey achieves the proper balance between national interests, like the Alban succession issue, and the conspiracies among families and houses, like Bernadette de Trevalion's plot to murder Imriel. One of the reasons I find historical fiction so fascinating is its ability to portray that dynamic between the massive national conflicts and the smaller, personal conflicts that drive individuals. Epic fantasy can accomplish the same thing, and Carey is an excellent example of this. Ysandre may trust Imriel, love Imriel as her cousing; but as the queen, she has certain obligations. Obtaining justice is not as simple as accusing the guilty party and presenting evidence, not when such accusations might breed more distrust and discontent. As he matures, Imriel recognizes that this is part of being nobility. Instead of choosing to reveal Bernadette's plot, he blackmails her into secrecy in an attempt to prevent future blood feuds.If anything, I wish there had been more politics. Most of the intrigue centres around the Unseen Guild, a secret society that manipulates events in Europa for its own purposes. This is the society that taught Anafiel Delaunay the ways of espionage. Imriel encounters the Guild in Tiberium, personified as Claudia Fulvia, wife of a Roman senator. They are just as interested in him as he is in them: having a Crown Prince of Terre d'Ange, someone who is third-in-line to the throne, in their organization would be incredibly beneficial. Imriel stumbles upon the Unseen Guild while trying to discover who taught Anafiel. Soon, however, he becomes obsessed with learning more about the Guild and their relationship to his exiled mother.Honestly, the problem with having the Guild as adversaries (I'm deliberately avoiding the less neutral term of "antagonist") is that they're so damn shadowy. Aside from Claudia, and perhaps Canis, we don't knowingly meet any other Guild members. As a rule, I am suspicious about enemies who operate behind the scenes—they smack of plot device. To Carey's credit, the Guild is not the one that rides to Imriel's rescue when Lucca comes under siege. Still, they are far from a compelling addition to the canon.As the first book in a trilogy, Kushiel's Scion captures the introductory flavour of Kushiel's Dart. Unfortunately, it lacks a big central conflict. Even the latter book has one in the form of the Skaldian invasion. The siege of Lucca is a major turning point in Imriel's life, but it lacks the gravity of previous events in the Kushiel series, where every book, including the first one, left Europa altered in some fundamental way. So in that sense, Carey did not meet the standards she set in her previous trilogy. But I'm not saying it's bad, and I'd venture that it's something more than good. In terms of characterization, which is a parameter I rank highly (often even higher than plot), this is a great book. For those who have read the first trilogy and are aching to return to Terre d'Ange, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I know, I miss Phèdre too. But every generation must eventually cede new adventures to the next one, and it's Imriel's time now.My Reviews of Kushiel's Legacy:← Kushiel's Avatar | Kushiel's Justice →
Lord, this is hard.If you're not familiar with Jacqueline Carey and her Kushiel's Legacy series, which is steadily approaching epic proportions.... well, let it suffice to say that if you're not familiar with it, you should be. The series is filled with everything that makes fantasy so great; an sub-alternate world that parallels our own wonderfully, a great historical feel, well-rounded characters, political intrigue, great scenery, epic travels, wonderful costumes, deep emotions, quests o which the fates of nations depend... Carey manages to do it all. I've found that, in fantasy, it's easy to overwhelm the reader with all of this, something which Carey luckily doesn't do. She has always, for me, managed to hit the jackpot by pacing that incredibly thin line between epicness and humanity/humility in her characters. Some have argued that her prose is too description-and-adjective-heavy. I myself disagree and would much prefer descriptive prose to minimalistic prose, at least in fantasy, and even if her sentences sound a little loaded sometimes, for me that just adds to the feel of the book and makes it even easier for myself to lose myself in it.That being said, I have to say that Kushiel's Scion is a lesser sister among its marvelous Kushiel's Legacy siblings. Most of this has to do with the fact that I am completely utterly in love with Phedre (for the uninitiated, Phedre was the narrator and main character of the first three Kushiel's Legacy novels - the next three, of which Kushiel's Scion is the first - are narrated by prince Imriel. Phedre still plays a part, but only a small one). She is my favourite fantasy novel character ever and I deeply regret having to say goodbye to her narrating. But of course, there are many redeeming qualities to Kushiel's Scion as well - Imriel's inner struggle, the lovely, student-y, riot-y vibe of Tiberium, the character of Lucius and his later transformation-and-back into Gallus Tadius (I especially loved that), Master Piero and the way he thinks, Canis the mysterious philosopher-beggar... And most of all, the thing I've always loved most about Carey's novels; how she makes you care about every single character, because every single character is well-rounded; how every one of them is incredibly human with good and bad in a somewhat equal distribution - how even the smaller side-characters, like the widow Anna or Brigitta or Romuald or Helena feel real to you. How Carey always makes you feel like behind every story, around every corner, is another story waiting to be told and that the one she tells is only a facet of the full picture, yet an incredibly fulfilling and beautiful facet.
What do You think about Kushiel's Scion (2007)?
A big, sprawling, sexy romantic, heroic fantasy set in a truly inventive alternate reality--a pseudo-Renaissance version of Europe and countries beyond. This book is the middle installment of a trilogy that also includes Kushiel's Scion and Kushiel's Mercy. The entire trilogy is a sequel to a previous one: Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Avatar, and Kushiel's Chosen. I read those three books long ago (pre-2004). Their strengths are the strong, multifaceted female heroine; the rich, fully developed alternate-reality setting the author has created; and, oh yes, the sex scenes. (See my separate review of Kushiel's Dart for more details.)The good news is that the best characters from the first trilogy are back for the second. And readers of the first trilogy are rewarded with many references to the happenings from those books, though I wonder if a someone who hasn't read the first three books would be confused by these references. At least they provide enough details about the protagonist's backstory to help you appreciate who he is in the current book.The male protagonist (Imriel) of this second trilogy is a well-developed, sympathetic character in his own right, and the new supporting characters are also believable and well-rounded. It's difficult to find a character I truly disliked--indeed, because there are so few the protagonist dislikes. While that's good, it sometimes makes it difficult to root against the alleged villains. I haven't yet felt the same adventure fatigue that came upon me while reading the first trilogy, but I've also taken a break after reading the first two books of this installment.Any reader who likes Diana Gabeldon's Outlander series should appreciate this series. And readers who have issues with Gabeldon's books (such as with their length, plot sprawl, and the adventure fatigue these induce) will likely have the same issues with Carey's series.
—Amy
Phedre narrated the first three Kushiel books. She is a strong, ruthless masochist. In this book, Carey switched her narrator to Phedre's adopted nephew, Imriel. And he is a somewhat weak, tortured sadist. Or at least, there are hints in that direction. But, whereas Phedre's basic nature shines throughout the first series, Carey seems a bit more reluctant to show the truly dark aspects of Imriels nature. Maybe that's because Imriel himself is trying to hide it, or maybe its just that Carey is not quite as comfortable with this kind of character.There isn't much to the story. Imriel agonizes over his place at Court as he grows up, and makes some friends and enemies. Then he goes to Rome to study, and to escape his life at Court. Here he makes friends and gets involved in some intrigue. Then he winds up in the middle of a siege. So lots happens, but every time someone settles in to recap some stories about Phedre and Joscelin, it becomes clear that the current adventures pale a bit by comparison. There are some likeable relationships, and some mysteries that survive to get the next book going. But for me it all somehow felt like Phedre Lite.Carey's writing is graceful and easy to read. She has a great feel for the alternative Europe she has created, and she also has kept a nice control on the very limited appearance of magic in these books. At this point, I'm feeling like I can expect these books to be a comfortable, good read. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I'm not expecting a whole lot more. Who knows, maybe I will be pleasantly surprised down the line.
—Duffy Pratt
I'd wondered if Jacqueline Carey would be writing any more in her Kushiel universe, and was thrilled to find that she's continued in a new trilogy centering on Imriel de la Courcel. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. This book begins a new trilogy, one that blends with the previous storyline while forging ahead and making the reader love Imriel just as we've loved Phèdre. It's a treat to see this new perspective on life, and I found myself just as engaged with Imriel's story and character despite our difference in gender. Carey is a wonderful writer, and I can see how the next book will bring us even more heart-wrenching adventures that pain us in just the right way.<3
—Elizabeth
