From Harry Potter to The Catcher in The Rye - I will read absolutely anything. This blog will detail my impressions on new releases, old classics, and everything in between! As Dr. Seuss said in 'I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! 'The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.'


Kushiel's Dart - My Introduction to the Wonderful World of Fantasy Fiction

This is the story of Phèdre nó Delaunay, an anguisette and Servent of Naamah....A servant of what?

I know, it sounds complicated. This was the first real fantasy book I read, and I'm not going to lie, I struggled initially. So many names, so many places, so many words - I was lost. I stubbornly stuck with it though and am truly glad I did - I ended up loving this book. In fact, Kushiel's Dart is the reason I started reading fantasy. 


So what IS an anguisette? and who is this Naamah person? Without getting too bogged down, an anguisette is a person chosen by the angel Kushiel to feel both pleasure and pain at the same time. This combined with being a Servent of Naamah (which is a nice way of saying a high class hooker), makes for an interesting plot foundation. I'm sure you have some nasty little ideas about where this book is headed - I did. Don't be fooled - this isn't a romance,  there really isn't even a lot of sex - this book is more about court intrigue, spies, political conflicts, etc. The story is complex but fascinating, with many interesting and quirky characters. 


Once you finish this book, there are two more to look forward to in the Phèdre series, followed by the Imriel and Naamahs trilogies. 


Rating: ½