Episode 5: Kushiel's Dart

[Jeannette]

In this month's podcast we discuss our favorite fantasy summer reads and Jacqueline Carey's novel, Kushiel's Dart. Anything we left out? Perhaps you want to add something to our favorite fantasy list. Here's your thread!

[Megan]

So I got half way through the podcast today before having to stop. 1. I wouldn't consider LOTR to be a summer reading, even though it's the perfect time for a student off school! So no hard feelings :-) 2. Can you list those 5 series? I've never heard of...Zampf? And it sounds interesting! 3. Nette, I'm going to read the book you mentioned, White Teeth? I'm going to check your goodreads page to find the title! It sounds really interesting :-)

[Tara]

Hey M,

The five series in order were:
1. The Chronicles of Narnia
2. The Xanth Series (1st book: A Spell for Chameleon)
3. The Harry Potter Series
4. The Mists of Avalon Series
5. The Sandman Graphic Novels

Xanth is awesome! I had to have tried to get you to read them in college...

[Megan]

Thanks! Maybe you tried, but Xanth really sounds completely unfamiliar to me but I'm intrigued!

[Megan]

While I was TeamJocelyn, I agree with Tara that Hycinthe might be the better choice. Her sexuality is a VERY big part of her as is being a servant of Namaah. I think that is something the Jocelyn may always struggle with because of his upbringing and beliefs and I believe that Hycinthe can better accept it. While Hycinthe may never be able to fully satisfy her in the pain dept at least he would understand what it is she needs, whereas Jocelyn always seemed very confused/disgusted/upset by it.

[Meredith]

I started the podcast last week, but wasn't able to finish it, so now that I have, I'd like to throw my vote to Team Hyacinthe, with the understanding that I have accepted the fact that their relationship will never really have a fair chance, and then being ok with Jocelyn, lol. Since I've read the entire trilogy now, I can say that Jocelyn grew on me, but really, I think Hyacinthe could have been a better fit. He was more accepting of who she was as Kushiel's Dart, and Jocelyn was definitely not. Jocelyn pretty much despised that aspect of Phedre, and you can't exactly blame him, seeing that he was trained from the age of 10 to be a chaste warrior priest. Her lifestyle was so far past something that he could really accept, and after they have sex, he ends up hating himself, and probably also resenting her. Does he get over it? Eventually...but I don't think this would have been anywhere near as difficult with Hyacinthe. In the end, Phedre and Hyacinthe never have a real chance to find out if they could have been good together, and we have to kind of accept that and move on. Will they always love each other? Yes. Can that love morph from a romantic love to a platonic love? I think so. They will always deeply care for each other, but it's just not going to lead to a romantic relationship, and that's okay. I guess that's just life sometimes, right?

[Tara]

Thank you Team!Hyacinthe supporters (or just Hyacinthe supporters in general). They never got a fair shot did they?

Who has finished the trilogy now? Is it worth us opening up a Kushiel Trilogy discussion thread?