_Kushiel's Dart_ is not in any real sense a quest fantasy, but it shares many of the trappings of the epic fantasy genre. It is set in an alternate Europe where the blood of Jesus on the cross mixed with Mary Magdalane's tears to create a new person, Elua. Abandoned by god, he wandered with angelic companions who left god's side to be with him. One of them was Namaah who sold her body to provide for the group. Another was Kushiel, an angel of punishment, some of whose victims began to enjoy their punishment. Phedre, our heroine for this adventure, is marked with Kushiel's dart, the mark of an "anguisette", a masochist. She is bought early in the novel by Anafiel Delaunay who is her tutor and mentor. In many ways, what follows is, in the broadest outlines, what one expects. Kushiel falls in with palace intrigue and eventually ends up on a long journey, a travelogue of locales and cultures before returning home to try to save the realm.
Still, within this skeleton, the book avoids many of the common flaws of the genre. While not approaching the consistent brutality of Martin, there are real sacrifices to be made here. Magic plays an almost impreceptible role in the novel. It is the basis of a few points of plot, but it could reasonably be excised with little loss. Although there are some intimations near the end that Phedre may have some larger destiny, it seems unlikely that she will posess any powers greater than her own intellect. Although there is a journey to be made, it is not a quest for plot trinkets, and it is not always at the will of our protagonist. Also, unlike much epic fantasy, the journey is not for the sights, but instead for the different cultures. Although the parallels to known Europe are quite obvious, the cultures are distinctly drawn and interesting to visit.
This novel is also quite well-written. It has a strong first-person voice that rarely makes one yearn for the knowledge of omniscience. It also conveys Phedre's internal struggles with her "gift" and her relations to others. Carey's prose, while never developing much of a sense of place, succeeds in evoking a sense of mood, an internalized place that substitutes for the lack of external descriptive fireworks.
All that said, I feel as if I should have liked this book a lot more than I did. It is, I think, torn between genres. Bricklike epic fantasies, the good ones at least, draw you along through sheer momentum. The senses of destiny, magic and prophecy propel you through the novel not caring, perhaps, that the details of the journey aren't all that well done. Length is hardly an issue when there is so much that needs to happen. _Kushiel's Dart_, rather, has a languor about it. It is not really until almost three-hundred pages in that the main elements of the plot finally begin to take shape. Although the scenery's fairly nice, lacking those things that make one unable to put it down, the book cannot avoid it's own length. Mood can only take me so far. The novel lingers for too long in many of the places it visits without providing much to show for the extended period. Although I'm sure that Carey thought it was useful for exploring the themes related to Phedre's masochism, the themes in general were very obvious and not particulary interesting. As a shorter work exploring Phedre's nature, the novel could be much more successful. Coming in at nine-hundred pages, however, it can get a bit tedious and repetitive.
Nonetheless, assuming this is really a debut, it is a highly successful one. If Carey could get a better handle on her pacing, she could easily be one of the best writers in the genre. Until then, I will still buy her books if not with the complete enthusiasm that I might have liked.
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Last updated 3/30/02