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Kushiel's Mercy (Kushiel's Legacy) By Jacqueline Carey ( Grand Central Publishing )
Release Date: 2008-06-12
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $26.99
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Product Description
From Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of Kushiel's Scion and Kushiel's Justice, comes the final adventure in the Imriel Trilogy.
Having paid dearly for ignoring Elua's edict to love as thou wilt, Imriel and Sidonie have finally come forward to publicly confess their love for each other---only to watch the news ignite turmoil throughout the land. Those who are old enough cannot forget the misdeeds of Imriel's mother, Melisande, whose self-serving lies plunged their country into war.
In order to quell the uprising, Queen Ysandre hands down a decree: she will not divide the lovers, but neither will she acknowledge them. And if they decide to marry, Sidonie will be disinherited.
That is, unless Imriel can find his mother and bring her back to Terre D'Ange to be executed for treason....
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 Hopefully the end of Imriel's tough journey ( karissa35 )
This book concludes the second Kushiel trilogy by Jacqueline Carey which features Imriel as the lead character. This book was a perfect conclusion to this trilogy. It's a long book, very long. Imriel's journey in this book is just as immense as in the last book. This book felt like it encompassed more than one story, it could have (again) been more than one book. Unlike the last book, I feel that that worked for this book. This book wasn't a struggle to get through. It flowed beautifully, was action packed, and had you holding your breath until the very end.
Imriel and Sidonie confront Ysandre about their relationship; which threatens to tear the realm apart. Sidonie stands to inherit the throne and her relationship with Imriel is less than appreciated considering his mother was a traitor to the crown. When confronted Ysandre says only one thing will sway her into allowing their relationship; Imriel must find his traitorous mother and bring her back to Terre d'Ange for execution. As Imriel starts this difficult task, there is an unexpected entourage from Carthage. The visit from Carthage sets events into motion that no one could have imagined.
I really enjoyed this book. I was sad that the characters were put through so much torment. There is no one in this book who is left unscathed in the end. As usual Imriel and Sidonie take the brunt of it. One again Carey does an excellent job of character development. We really see Imriel and Sidonie grow into adults and it is wonderful to watch them become comfortable with who they are.
The writing is beautiful and perfect, as with the rest of this series. I thought that the pacing of this book was much better than the last book. The action stays consistent throughout. The only point at which I found myself wanting something to happen was when Leander and Sidonie were spending time in Carthage together. I think this was done for a purpose though and did a good job in conveying the helplessness of their situation there.
Some wonderful new characters were introduced in the way of Leander and Kratos. I am always amazed at Carey's skill in making even minor characters have depth and history.
SPOILER ALERT*********
I have to mention this because the skill with which it was executed amazed me! When Imriel took on Leander's self, the style of writing totally changed to reflect Leander's thoughts and actions. Then as Imriel's love begins to break down the spell that makes him Leander, you slowly see Imriel's personality revert back to Imriel's. I thought it was very cool that Carey could make this personality change so subtle and realistic.
SPOILER ENDED************
I really did love this book. Even though it was lengthy, I was a bit sad when it was over. Then ending was perfect and beautiful as it the rest of the book. I am beginning to wonder if we will see a trilogy focused around Sidonie's sister Alais next. Carey seemed to be hinting that Alais is going to go through some struggles in the future. Hopefully the two catch phrases in that book "Love as thou wilt" and "All knowledge is worth having" will carry on to any future work she does.
karissabooks.blogspot.com
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Would give this a seven star rating if possible...
I have read every book of the Kushiel series and have been so impressed with Carey as an author. To be honest, Phedre and Jocelyn were my favorite characters, but Imriel has steadily grown on me until in this, the conclusion of his story, I found myself on the edge of my seat, cheering him on, laughing, crying and hoping that the story would end well.
From the very first page I was drawn into the world of Terre de Ange and its citizens. I found myself reading at every opportunity, sometimes over a hundred pages a day. I have never been more drawn into a story the way that I've been with this series. Carey has such a way with words that it is impossible to not feel as if you know the characters. You laugh with them, cry with them, cheer them on and stay on the edge of your seat through the ENTIRE book.
I've seen on her website that she will continue with the Kushiel series, only it will be about a 100 years in the future. I'm sad to see this group of characters go. The only thing I would have liked to have seen was an epilogue. I wanted to see what the future held for Imriel and Sidonie, oh well, maybe she will touch briefly on it in her new triology.
A definite must read! I rated this 7 stars because I have read this series twice and it was just as enjoyable both times. This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you've finished the last page.
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Amazing
This one was truly amazing. It was a good book to end the trilogy about Imri. I've read all of the books in the series and was not disappointed. I highly recommend it to anyone that has been following the series.
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Excellent! ( kevdoth )
This is a return to the sprawling adventure of most of the other books in the Kushiel series and quite possibly my favorite. Jacqueline Carey's use of language and creative plot turns is wonderful. I'm sure I'll be reading this entire series again in the not-to-distant future. I can't wait for her next book.
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A brilliant last installment ( ksaintjohns )
This book came out in June, but I only got around to reading it while I was on vacation in August. I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to it, except perhaps that I knew it was going to be the final book involving Phedre, Joscelin, Imriel and their circle of supporting characters, and I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye yet.
If I have had one complaint about the first two books of the second Kushiel trilogy, it was that they weren't plot-driven enough. They were character stories. Kushiel's Scion was about Imriel coming into his sexual maturity knowing he has an inherent sadistic inclination stemming from his semi-divine heritage and trying to balance that streak of cruelty against 1) the trauma he suffered as a child at the hands of a truly mad sadist and 2) the earnest desire to be a good person and live up to the example Phedre and Joscelin have set for him. Kushiel's Justice was about Imriel setting aside boyhood selfishness and learning to become a man and face the responsibilities of a man, including owning up to his forbidden love affair with the Dauphine, Sidonie, despite the turmoil that was certain to come with it. Both of these books EVENTUALLY found a plot or quest of sorts, but it was one that Imriel sort of staggered into half-way through the book, not something that was really there from the very outset.
Now, of course, this character exploration was a perfectly valid choice of directions in which to take the trilogy. And given Imriel's backstory, perhaps it was quite necessary, or else we might not have believed him capable of accomplishing some of the feats he eventually accomplishes. But I really found myself missing that laser-beam precise plotline that cut right through each of the three books of the first trilogy from cover to cover. Jacqueline Carey's ability to craft intricate and compelling mystery/adventure/political intrigue is second only to her gorgeous and elegant use of language. I've heard these books compared to the early Dune novels in terms of the intricacy and detail of the political machinations, and while I've never read the Dune series, I imagine that's a pretty apt comparison.
This last book made up for the lack of plot I felt in the first two novels, though. The "quest" was established quite early on, and just as with the first trilogy, while it occasionally involved u-turns and detours along the way, there was always a strong sense that the story was heading very determinedly toward its conclusion, rather than meandering aimlessly in that direction.
And it was an excellent story. And a necessary one, because we finally see Imriel stand completely alone and live up to the heroic examples that have been set for him. There's no chance of Phedre and Joscelin riding to his rescue at the last instant; in fact, when the climax came, he found himself having to face off against them and almost everyone else that he might have one time looked to for support. The hanging thread of Melisande's fate is at last tied off, though perhaps not as definitively as she might have deserved, and when we see them last, all the characters are in a good place, a place in which its easy to bid them farewell and know that we are never going to see them again.
As always, Carey's writing is beautiful, and midway through the novel, she accomplishes a trick so subtle I'm half-inclined to believe it was completely in my mind. Without giving away too much of the plot, Imriel ends up under a spell that makes him believe he's a different person. Since these novels are written in first-person narration, this means that that narrative is taken over by this new persona of Imriel's. And I swear, the tone of the narration changes. I can't put my finger on what's different about it, but the "voice" I hear in my head when reading first-person narration became a completely different voice while Imriel is under the effect of the spell. The new voice is just a little more light-hearted, more jocular and irreverent, not quite so bogged down in angst and painful memories or driven by issues of world-saving importance as Imriel's voice tends to be. And as Imriel gradually creeps back into the new persona, that voice gradually becomes Imriel's voice again until the final transition back to Imriel is made. It was absolutely bloody BRILLIANT. Carey truly is a first-calibre wordsmith.
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