false 22 182 181 true 6038622 read 0 true 2113279 currently-reading 1 true 2113278 to-read 25 false 2113347 fantasy 18 false 2115234 manga 7 false 2115312 philosophy 6 false 2115278 fiction 5 false 2115316 comics 2 false 2115187 politics 1 false 2115313 history http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19210732 to: Tesla: Man Out of Time (Paperback) by Margaret Cheney
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18720019 to: Jurassic Park (Paperback) by Michael Crichton
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18766940 to: Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy, #1) by Jacqueline Carey
bookshelves: fantasy
This story centers around a young woman who can not feel pain without pleasure, and was sold into sex-slavery in the name of religion as a child. Cheery.

She is bought while still young and brought into the house of a kind nobleman, who teaches her language, observation and various other skills in order to use her as a spy in the intricate politics of their state.

From there she is catapulted into the intrigue of the King's court, making enemies and friends in important places, and finds herself at the center of plots to overthrow the King.

The first 200 pages or so are set-up, and not nearly as exciting as the rest of the book. While they are not boring, it is important to understand that the world is being created and thus the first pages need center on things outside the main character's young point of view. The story is told in first person from the future, so the main character/narrator has all the knowledge that she didn't have at the time events unfolded.

One blessing in the perspective is that she will often write "I will spare you all the details of ______," and spare the reader all the details of whatever boring thing just happened. Her summarizations serve just as well and make the story move along at a good clip through this 900 page novel.

The world in the book is a modified middle-ages Europe, with the French playing the part of the "Angelique" people. The Spanish, English, Irish, Italian, Arabian and Aryan peoples are also recognizable through the map and/or their descriptions. The religion is based off a modified version of the Christian religion. I never understood why the author bothered to maintain these comparisons, instead of having her world be completely unique. If she was trying to make some sort of statement (other than that the French are the descendants of angels) it was lost on me.

I usually associate "Fantasy" with an element of magic, but this book barely contains magic. It seems that the book was almost written as mere fiction, and then the world altered and magic brought in at a few crucial points to help the plot. For some reason, this made the magical aspect of the novel seem unbelievable and out of place.

In all, I found the story to be fascinating, and that is why it rates so high in my opinion. The attempts at humor were sometimes enough to make me smile, but not as well done as other fantasy series I've read. The descriptions of the main character being tortured for the pleasure of her clients were sickening and well done. This story is worthwhile for anyone interested in big-plot character fantasy. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19205622 to: Kushiel's Chosen (Kushiel's Legacy, #2) by Jacqueline Carey
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