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A review by livingdeadash
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
2.0
I'm not the best at writing reviews, but here I go.
I started reading this book because it was recommended because of its "strong female character". When I saw it was written in first person, I nearly put it down then and there, much preferring third person writing.. But I decided to power through (until about 2/3 of the way through).
Now, the writing itself isn't that bad. I like descriptive writing. But I did dislike how she used the same words over and over again (see: phallus).
The plot is fine, as well, but when it begins it switches from moving too fast, to dragging on, then back again, it might give you a bit of whiplash.
On to the characters. The main character, previously described as strong, is Phedre. I GUESS that could be word for her. The main thing that stands out about her is her ingrained trait of enjoying pain. This really isn't a choice for her. It's just how things are. And it's a bit awkward to read about her basically being raped and HAVING to like it. Most of the beatings/whippings/what have you is her choice to endure, and that's fine, but it crosses the line at some points, at least in my mind. Other than that, I found her a bit bland and not much different from any other generic fantasy heroine I've read about.
Other characters are nice enough. I had one favorite in the book, but he ends up dying quickly and out of nowhere. Of course, I won't say who that is. Spoilers! But it did upset me a bit. If the book was in third person, and from different points-of-view, it might have made it more readable for me.
The other, background characters become hard to tell apart. So many French names that you can't match roles or faces to. I read ASOIAF and did well keeping up with nobles, but for some reason the multiple different important people in this book were forgettable for me.
But hey, it seems like most people have rated this book highly. Maybe I'm too picky and you'll personally love it! Try it out.
I started reading this book because it was recommended because of its "strong female character". When I saw it was written in first person, I nearly put it down then and there, much preferring third person writing.. But I decided to power through (until about 2/3 of the way through).
Now, the writing itself isn't that bad. I like descriptive writing. But I did dislike how she used the same words over and over again (see: phallus).
The plot is fine, as well, but when it begins it switches from moving too fast, to dragging on, then back again, it might give you a bit of whiplash.
On to the characters. The main character, previously described as strong, is Phedre. I GUESS that could be word for her. The main thing that stands out about her is her ingrained trait of enjoying pain. This really isn't a choice for her. It's just how things are. And it's a bit awkward to read about her basically being raped and HAVING to like it. Most of the beatings/whippings/what have you is her choice to endure, and that's fine, but it crosses the line at some points, at least in my mind. Other than that, I found her a bit bland and not much different from any other generic fantasy heroine I've read about.
Other characters are nice enough. I had one favorite in the book, but he ends up dying quickly and out of nowhere. Of course, I won't say who that is. Spoilers! But it did upset me a bit. If the book was in third person, and from different points-of-view, it might have made it more readable for me.
The other, background characters become hard to tell apart. So many French names that you can't match roles or faces to. I read ASOIAF and did well keeping up with nobles, but for some reason the multiple different important people in this book were forgettable for me.
But hey, it seems like most people have rated this book highly. Maybe I'm too picky and you'll personally love it! Try it out.