Let me just start with saying there will probably be spoilers for book 1 of the Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey (i have not finished the other books yet so also please don’t spoil them for me) And lots of talk of sex and bdsm and stuff. If that’s not your bag, then read no further. And if this isn’t the right sub to discuss all this then I’m happy to delete!

I finished Kushiels Dart last night. And i have got to say it may honestly be one of the greatest things I’ve ever read in any genre in my life and I’d consider myself a fairly well read person. It’s hard to know where even to start with it. The quality of the writing is superb, Melville-esque even. So many characters in this book and they are all complex and nuanced. The geopolitics are page turning and epic, the use of religion and languages is also deeply fascinating and don’t feel like accessories. The world is rich and layered and living. There is magic in the world but it’s released slowly, like a faint pressure valve, it doesn’t give you too much too fast. It sort of blurs the line between historical fiction and fantasy. Similarly, while yes it is smutty and there’s plenty of sex and it can be quite graphic, it also doesn’t feel gratuitous or unearned, and often times leaves me wanting more. She knows when to leave the door open and when to just close it and move on, without messing with the pace of the story and more importantly the smut scenes actually inform the story.

It’s super queer. And it’s slut positive.

Phedré is an aguissette, a fancy mystical name for being a masochist. She’s also an adept of the night court, essentially a sex worker.

As a submissive and a masochist myself, who’s been pretty heavily involved in the bdsm community for pretty much my entire adult life, I’ve never felt more understood nor had my thoughts on submission/masochism better articulated than whilst reading this book. I’m honestly kinda shocked i hadn’t heard of it till recently but that’s besides the point.

I think a lot of what struck me, is how when a scene starts or there’s even talk of that nature, it’s like a switch flips and she just YIELDS. She gives herself wholly over to the other person with full trust, literally leaning the weight of her head into their hands in anticipation and even gratitude. It is an essential need for her and i honestly can just relate to that so much. I also particularly love how she sort of expresses the difference between someone who engages in that sort of play and doesn’t know what they are really doing or has motivations that aren’t true sadism i.e. just being angry, or like when hyacinthe says he would try to be her Dom for her benefit even tho he’d get nothing out of it other than giving her what she wants and she just KNOWS that it won’t hit the same (pun intended lol) as being with a Dom who is hurting her for THEIR fulfillment, like Melissande for example.

Idk it’s something i think about a lot when i gauge new potential play partners and it’s true there is a big difference for me knowing the inner motivations of the Dom I’m with.

Anyway i could go on and on, i just really loved Phedré, i loved that she wasn’t a stereotypical bad ass FMC who is good at fighting or magic or something and did things that i think i could actually do (and enjoy) and sort of played with a lot of tropes and i just really loved this book and needed to gush a bit about it! can’t wait to read the rest of them. 1000/10 would recommend!!!