A review by phaedraismyusername
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Did I love this as much as the first? No.
Was it still an excellent reading experience? Yes.
Just a super solid second book in the series, it lost a lot of the slow pace of the first once in trade of a faster adventure-ish pace but it was still heavily political, the intrigue was still intriguing, and the characters, especially Phedre, really do feel like they're maturing and developing because of their lived experiences and not just because time is passing or the author requires it.
My only real complaint is that I found the face off with the overarching antagonist in this one a little more annoying in this book. And while I know the hold they have over Phedre is a purposeful choice by the author and not a result of poor writing, i did find it less convincing with this version of Phedre, in comparison to her teenage self in book one, but that's purely down to personal preference.
I'm looking forward to book 3 and seeing how this series wraps up!
Was it still an excellent reading experience? Yes.
Just a super solid second book in the series, it lost a lot of the slow pace of the first once in trade of a faster adventure-ish pace but it was still heavily political, the intrigue was still intriguing, and the characters, especially Phedre, really do feel like they're maturing and developing because of their lived experiences and not just because time is passing or the author requires it.
My only real complaint is that I found the face off with the overarching antagonist in this one a little more annoying in this book. And while I know the hold they have over Phedre is a purposeful choice by the author and not a result of poor writing, i did find it less convincing with this version of Phedre, in comparison to her teenage self in book one, but that's purely down to personal preference.
I'm looking forward to book 3 and seeing how this series wraps up!