Audio Book Review: Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey

 

Kushiel's Justice (Imriel's Trilogy #2) by Jacqueline Carey, narrated by Simon Vance
Romance/Historical/Fantasy
Summary: After a year abroad to study at university, Imriel returns from his adventures a little older and somewhat wiser. But perhaps not wise enough. What was once a mere spark of interest between himself and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, who bears the stigma of his mother's of his mother's misdeeds and betrayals. Praying that their passion will peak and fade, Imriel and Sidonie embark on an intense, secret affair.
703 pages

My Rating: A

I really love this series, and this is definitely a great addition to the universe. I do wonder what will happen next, given who Imriel's parents were, but I can't wait to find out. Jacqueline Carey does an amazing job of drawing you along, and the world she's created here, a very distinct offshoot of our own, feels as real as ours is. And every time she reminds you of things that happened in the past of these stories, it really is like recalling a memory. Far more than the usual "oh, right, that happened," of other books.

I have to mention that this is the first time I have listened to this series, and I was delighted to realize that the narrator is the same one in the Temeraire books. It feels somehow fitting that he is reading them both, what with the historical, English, and French connections in both series.

While this is not a light series (I mean, 700 pages is not shocking for this series...), its richness, and the things she's implanted in this world that I am sure will crop up in future stories, just makes it wonderful to read. Nothing just vanishes in this world, and everything that happens has an effect on what will come. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants an adult series, doesn't mind a little sex, and loves fantasy and history. This one just does not disappoint.

To see my rating system, go here.

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