Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ok, first let’s look at the positives. There is a good story with top-notch political intrigue. The main character is touched by Kushiel and, thus, has an interesting method of acquiring important information. First she is used by her master to gain secrets but he also teaches her to do critical thinking, empowering her to make great choices on her own. I liked all of this and especially the rich world where it takes place. The characters were good (not great though – sometimes they were a bit too cliché) and the plot moved well until about the middle of the book (60% mark).
Then things just worked out too well. I’m not a huge fan of perfect endings and I know there was bravery, risk taking, death, and sacrifice, but still…
Anyway, I enjoyed it, but I wanted a little more.
I loved it but… 😉