Book Review: Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey

Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Fantasy, Erotica

Series: Moirin's Trilogy #3, Kushiel's Legacy #9

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: June 2011

Author Info: www.jacquelinecarey.com 

Wendy's Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Politics and intrigue are always at the heart of d’Angeline adventures and this ninth and final book in Carey’s Kushiel series is no different. Our protagonist, Moirin Mac Fainche and her husband, Bao, are now united, heart and soul, with Bao no longer resisting the soulspark that binds the two together. With their adventures in the east at an end, they have returned to Terre d’Ange, following Moirin’s dream of the deceased queen and her former lover, Jehane, who fears for her young daughter, Desiree. This is not the Terre d’Ange of Phedre no Delauney’s time. Ruled by an apathetic king who grows more and more despondent as his personal losses, including Jehane, increase.

Moirin’s position as both a d’Angeline of noble heritage, as well as a Maughuin Donn, the mysterious bear witches from across the Straits, she is feared by some and respected by others, which puts her at the centre of the political intrigue when King Daniel’s appoints her and Bao as his daughter’s oathsworn protectors. When news of the prince’s death strikes Daniel, a usurper goes after the throne through little Desiree. But Jehanne’s dreams inform Moirin that the prince is indeed not dead, sending her and Bao and some unlikely allies across the seas to Terra Nova.

Overall, I have enjoyed Moirin’s story and character, though I can’t say I’ve been overly impressed with either. While I don’t want to compare her to the series’ first heroine, Phedre no Delauney (and thankfully, Moirin does not spend much of this book comparing herself to Phedre, as she did in the last one), it’s hard not to in order to determine why Moirin fails to interest me. First of all, Moirin has traveled around the world, as led by her diadh-anam, the soulspark within her. Her decisions all belong to her great bear goddess, as she follows along with her destiny, never once resisting or questioning for very long. If she goes against any oaths she makes or uses powers inappropriately, she risks losing her diadh-anam, as well as Bao, whom she brought back to life with her powers. This pretty much means that nothing she does is going to risk those losses, even though the plot often places her within such predicaments. Every time the situation escalates to a point where Moirin fears this will come to pass, there’s always something – usually divine intervention, that gets her out of it. And the climactic moment in this book is most certainly evidence of that.

Not that divine intervention and magic has played a small part in the previous books, but in those cases, Phedre, and later her foster son, Imriel, acted of their own accord. The gods might have offered approval, but the decisions Phedre and Imriel made were their own, driven by their desires, as well as duty and honour and the need for closure. Moirin has little agency beyond what she is literally bound to do by her soulspark. She still has her desires and a sense of duty and honour, but, her greater motivation always seems to be doing what her soulspark and bear goddess tell her to. I found this to be the downfall of the character and the story, making them less appealing to me.

As mentioned, this book takes us to Terra Nova in the west, thereby completing what has ended up being an epic tour of Carey’s world. I do appreciate the way she blends the reality and mythology of our world, altering it just enough to make it her own. However, despite the vast divinities represented, it becomes evident that only the gods of Terre d’Ange (which are considered the youngest) and now the Maghuin Donn seem to hold sway. If the gods of the other cultures make our protagonists aware of their presence or their powers, Moirin is usually able to prove her gods superior. Or the other gods are silent, allowing Moirin to prove to the people the power of her gods. I would have liked to see more balance in this.

Overall, an interesting story still, nicely wrapping up elements from the first book in Moirin’s trilogy, but, like Imriel’s trilogy, this is not a story that will stay with me as Phedre’s did.

Book Review: Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Epic Fantasy, Romance, Erotic Fantasy

Series: Kushiel's Legacy #6, Imriel's Trilogy #3

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: June 2008

Author Info: www.jacquelinecarey.com

Wendy's Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Kushiel’s Mercy is the sixth book in Carey’s Terre d’Ange adventures, and the third book in the Imriel de la Courcel’s story. It is the conclusion of his trilogy and honestly, I only read it for the sake of completion. Thus far, neither of the two trilogies that followed Phédre no Delauney’s own have been nearly as good, mostly because of the main characters.

Prince Imriel de la Courcel is the son of the beautiful traitor, Melisandre Sharizai. He was kidnapped into slavery, rescued and later adopted by Phédre and her consort, Joscelin, and has since gone off on his own adventures. In the last book, he was betrothed to a woman he didn’t love, but then perhaps matured with the brutal murder of his wife and unborn son and the subsequent vengeance he enacted upon the culprit. And within that all of that, he fell in love with Sidonie de la Courcel, the dauphine of Terre d’Ange, and daughter of the queen whom Imriel’s mother sought to depose. Unsurprisingly, there are those who are quite opposed to their union, in spite of the precepts of blessed Elua: “Love as thou wilt.” Queen Ysandre will only allow them to be married, if Imriel brings his long missing mother to justice. But before he is able to do so, Prince Astagal of Carthage orchestrates an incredible piece of magic that ensorcels half of Terre d’Ange, even convincing Sidonie that she not only has never loved Imriel, but that Imriel does not even exist.

This wasn’t a bad story. It contained all of Carey’s epic, world hopping fantasy, her beautiful people, intriguing characters, wonderful mythology and theology that touches on our reality, while still being wholly hers, sweeping political intrigue and more. The problem is that, at the centre of all this are Imriel and Sidonie and their cloying romance. I can be as hopelessly romantic as the next person, but it gets tiresome when it’s the main plot and purpose. The beauty of Phédre and Joscelin’s romance was that they didn’t spend the whole time pining for each other, even when they were together. But Imriel and Sidonie’s story is made to be a fairy tale romance (and is repeatedly referred to as such). I suppose it doesn’t help that the characters have never endeared themselves to me. I appreciate them, but they lack the depth of their predecessors. And Imriel spent the last two books being an annoyingly self-centred teenager.

One thing I do find annoying about the subsequent books in this series is the constant and repeated reference back to past events. It’s usually quite unnecessary, though perhaps it might be less so for someone who has not read the previous books. However, I do appreciate the scope of the history Carey creates with each new epic addition to her world.

Audiobook Review: Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey

Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey

Kushiel’s Curse continues the adventures of Moirin mac Fainche, now on a quest to find her lover, Bao, who has run off to determine his own fate after their Master Lo sacrificed himself to help Moirin unwittingly bring Bao back to life. Half of Moirin’s soul spark, or diadh-anam, now resides with Bao, guiding her towards him, but making him uncertain of whether or not his feelings for her are genuine.

Leaving Chin behind, Moirin travels through many of the lands of Carey’s world, all of which are based on the real world. Carey seems to be making a point of covering the entire world in her books, with this one crossing Mongolia and India and the next book completing the world tour with the west.

This is, first and foremost, a love story that speaks to the lengths Moirin will go to for those she loves. To be clear, Moirin loves just about everyone. She remains committed to Bao, but Moirin falls in love with the inner beauty and positive traits of many of the people she meets on her journey. As a child of Namaah, Moirin is heavily influenced by desire and believes in the D’Angeline consensual tenet of “Love as thou wilt.”

Through the Alban side of her heritage, Moirin is also a child of the bear goddess, the Maghuin Dhonn.  The gifts from these goddesses are manifest in Moirin and this brings her to the attention of a particular Yeshuan Rebbe intent on cleansing her of all those sins and lead her and other sinners to salvation. When this occurs about a quarter of the way into the book, it got my back up. In the second book of Carey’s adventures in Terre D’Ange, readers are introduced to the Habiru, worshippers of Yeshua and the One God. Due to my Christian upbringing, I tend to balk when I have to deal with the religious beliefs I rebelled against in my youth (unexpectedly) showing up in my entertainment and taking a very prominent role. It’s clear that the cultures and religions in this series are all based on actual cultures and religions and it is very easy to identify them all, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to me to find the Christian god’s involvement – especially since the gods of Terre D’Ange are birthed from that very faith. My prejudice usually isn’t enough to make me turn away, and I appreciated the way Kushiel’s Chosen presented it as something more for its main character, Phèdre, to learn and comprehend in order to achieve her goals. In fact, as the books progress and more cultures and religions earn some focus, Carey does so with great care and respect through her characters. But, unlike the previous adventures with Yeshua where I could get over my religious prejudice because the telling was never delivered with preachiness or condemnation, Moirin’s introduction to the Habiru, it is nothing but preachy and condemning.

As Moirin tries to justify her religious beliefs and subsequent actions to her captors, it felt a lot like it was Carey herself trying to unapologetically validate the “love as though wilt” principle and the licentious behaviour of her D’Angeline people. As if Carey had suffered criticism from some right wing Christian group and needed to vent her frustrations within the story. Later, when Moirin travels to Bhodistan, Carey’s disguised opinion piece moves to the condemnation of the caste system and the Untouchables of India.

I would have liked to avoid comparing Moirin to her predecessor, Phèdre no Delauney, but Moirin does it often enough herself. Moirin also spent a lot of time reiterating events from past books. In her travels, she frequently is asked to tell her story from Namaah’s Kiss, so if you haven’t read that one, you almost don’t need to. But she also goes into a lot of detail about certain events that took place with Imriel de la Courcel, who had his own trilogy in Carey’s Terre D’Ange series. Everything is raised within context, but I found the repetition tedious.

There is a heavy reliance on magic. Originally, the gods’ involvement in the world was clear, but not as heavy handed as it has been with Moirin. All of her decisions are based on the commands of her diadh-anam and plans rely on her ability to “summon the twilight” or make use of her many other abilities. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that has struck me since the Imriel Trilogy, becoming almost the entire focus in Moirin’s Trilogy. The theme is that the gods use their chosen hard, as established with Phèdre   but Phèdre made choices that in some cases, meant defying the gods. I don't expect Moirin to be Phèdre   but I grew disappointed in the way Moirin seemed to be the sum of her god-chosen status, without actually making decisions herself or really even questioning her destiny.

I was disappointed that we really don’t get to spend enough time with Bao and Moirin being together, though I know that was a necessary part of the story of Moirin’s love traversing all obstacles to be with him. I guess that just means I’ll have to read the third book in Moirin’s Trilogy to get my satisfaction!

My final complaint goes to the narrator, Anne Flosnik. I was not fond of her slow speech and the voices she affects for the characters other than Moirin, who tells the story. I particularly did not enjoy the drawn out, hoarsely whispered voice she uses for Bao. It did not match my image of Bao (as portrayed by Godfrey Gao in my head) at all. Not to mention that Flosnik pronounced all the words I’ve been reading for the past seven books entirely *wrong*, of course. Otherwise, the narration was tolerable, but I will definitely be reading the next book myself.

Despite all the complaining, I actually did like the book. It dragged a bit more than I felt was necessary, mainly because of some of the issues I addressed above, but it was still enjoyable. The characters and cultures are all as richly defined as I've come to expect from Carey, and I care about them enough to find out what happens next.

3 of 5 stars

Namaah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey

I've read the original Kushiel Trilogy three times, but haven't been able to finish the last book in the series involving Imriel de la Courcel. I've had Namaah's Kiss sitting beside my bed for well over a year and finally decided to pick it up and was instantly swept back into that world. Carey's writing is so elegant and her ability to paint a picture with her words is undeniable. Of course, I could be biased because I already know the world and most of its history, but I don't believe a new comer would be lost.

This trilogy begins many generations after the events of the last six books, which makes it a refreshing return for me. The histories of many events and people are often mentioned, but only in a way to quietly remind old readers and to subtly inspire new ones to seek them in their entirety.

Once again, we have a main character, Moirin, who is an outcast, but unlike Phedre and Imriel in the past, she is not a victim. She has grown up knowing unconditional love, which serves to guide her in finding her destiny as much as the various gods of her heritage do.

The blurb for this is misleading. It implies great adventure, but in fact, Moirin does not embark on the mage/warrior-princess/dragon-filled epic until almost 500 pages in. That leaves 500 pages where Carey artfully defines her character and all the intricate relationships and political intrigue of Terre D'Ange.

When it comes time to depart for Ch'in, the departure is just as jarring for the reader as it is for Moirin. Here it was a slightly less compelling read because of this, perhaps. Whereas with Kushiel's Dart, the heroine's journey climaxes in a war where we already know the setting and the people, here, it is slightly more difficult to appreciate these new characters and what is at stake.

Still, despite a somewhat disappointing ending because of the disconnect, it is still enough to entice me to read on...

3 of 5 stars

Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey

The adventures of Moirin mac Fainche continue in Naamah's Blessing, the third book of her trilogy. It all started years ago, when Moirin left her idyllic home in the wilderness of Alba to fulfill a destiny, seeking to do the will of the Maghuin Dhonn. Her travels have since brought her to the far reaches of the earth, but it appears still the gods have more in store.

Upon her return to Terre D'Ange, Moirin finds the realm in a state of unease. The royal family is broken, with Prince Thierry, heir to the throne, absent on an expedition to faraway Terra Nova. King Daniel, bereaved over the death of Queen Jehanne, is too distracted to rule. Their young daughter the Princess Desiree is troubled and neglected, her future and happiness in question. Times are rife with uncertainty and political instability.

The story of Naamah's Blessing also has its roots in the events from the first book. When Moirin first journeyed to Terre D'Ange seeking answers in the land of her father's ancestors, her encounters with the D'Angeline people did more than teach her about her heritage -- it also opened up a window to a brand new world. In her naivete, Moirin allowed herself to be manipulated by the charms of Raphael de Merliot, becoming entangled in his plot to summon a fallen angel. Their efforts ultimately ended in failure -- but a costly and deadly one.

Now faced the mistakes of her past, Moirin must take on a dangerous quest to make amends and embark on one final voyage to fulfill her destiny. The future of Terre D'Ange and the lives of people she loves depend on it.

I adore Jacqueline Carey, ever since the day I first discovered the Kushiel's Legacy series. I still remember the wonder and awe I felt when I finished reading Kushiel's Dart, the epic story that started it all. I've been addicted to her books ever since.

Devouring the rest of novels in the series including her second trilogy featuring Prince Imriel, I was thrilled when I heard Ms. Carey was planning on writing a third trilogy set in the same universe, though it would take place generations later, focusing on a half-D'Angeline child of the Maghuin Dhonn. I looked forward to it with anticipation.

And now that Moirin's trilogy is finally complete, I must admit the experience has been both frustrating and gratifying. On the one hand, I feel it is not as strong as the previous two trilogies, yet on the other, I am probably being unfair by making comparisons. After all, Moirin's story was likely meant to explore a different direction, and expand the world of Kushiel's Legacy.

I ended up enjoying Naamah's Blessing quite a bit, but it took some time to get there. I was not initially impressed with the first half of the book, underwhelmed by a rather uninspiring and self-indulgent introduction. There were various attempts at twists and turns, but not once did I find myself feeling any suspense, predicting many of the major steps in the plot that were meant to set up the story. As such, I felt none of the emotional blows I was meant to feel, but simply became increasingly frustrated at how all the events felt forced and telegraphed.

Still, while I thought the first half of the book was lackluster, I have to say the second half made up for much of it. It was Moirin's expedition to Terra Nova that provided the turning point, and it was then I started feeling the thrill again, and marveled at Ms. Carey's way of building new worlds.

I don't mind it when she takes us to faraway places, showing us there is indeed a lot more beyond the borders of Terre D'Ange. Since Naamah's Curse, Moirin has traveled the world, from exotic Ch'in to the dry plains of the Tatar Steppes, from remote Vralia to the lush lands of Bhodistan. The only regret I have is that all this jumping around does not do these places justice. With so many settings, it is impossible to give the same level of attention to the details. Terra Nova, however, received better treatment. I do very much enjoy the way each geographical area and culture in the series corresponds to one in the real world, and I love reading how Carey shapes each place to her owm vision. She succeeded in drawing me in again with her descriptions of this new frontier.

The story itself was nothing elegant, but it was exciting nonetheless. Once Moirin and her companions started on their journey, it was hard to stop turning the pages until the climax was reached and her destiny resolved. D'Angelines are people used to a life of comfort and decadent luxury, so it also something else to read about them out of their element, trekking through the dangerous and unforgiving jungles of Terra Nova.

I have to admit I was never a big fan of Moirin, but after this book I started liking her more. Being so used to the strength and quiet poise of Phedre no Delaunay, it took some time to accept Moirin's voice and her sometimes emotional and impulsive nature. I still got annoyed every time the narrative talked about her eyes stinging or filling with tears, but I think I've finally come to terms with her character. Moirin may seem childish sometimes, but her youth also gives her an energetic and lively view of her life's challenges, which I came to appreciate in this book.

I also started to like her companion and romantic interest Bao a lot more. His character hasn't been very popular with fans for some reason. Still, while he's no Joscelin Verreuil, Bao has been much developed over the last three books and he is very much one of Jacqueline Carey's men. I've always admired her talent for writing male characters, and over time she has given Bao the same treatment she has given to others like Barquiel L'Envers or Hyacinthe, transforming him into a hero I can respect.

There are, however, things I felt the book missed. Once again, Moirin is off to single-handedly save the world and right all its wrongs, but thankfully this was not as overdone as the last book. Still, the outcomes of the novel were very predictable. It is an irony that while Moirin being a child of the Maghuin Dhonn possesses a connection with magic, her story felt markedly less magical than the previous two trilogies. It was like something faded away from the series after Prince Imriel's trilogy. I've always felt Moirin's story lacked a focus, her mysterious destiny a tenuous reason for her adventures at best.

A lot of it has to do with so much of the plot feeling so convenient, such as the timely insertion of a usurping regent as an antagonist in the beginning of the book, or the child princess Desiree, three years old when she first meets Moirin, but who happens to be the spitting image of her mother Jehanne and acts and speaks in a way beyond her years. It's discomfiting, even when it is explained to the reader that she is unusually precocious for her age. Or even Raphael de Merliot, the book's main villain. While he poses a real and dangerous threat to Moirin and our heroes, his wickedness is one-sided, and he has none of the subtlety or delightful avarice, of say, Melisande Shahrizai whom we all loved to hate.

Overall, however, I still really liked this book. The trilogy really picked itself up following the last installment, and I also liked it for its themes of deities and destinies. Throughout her many adventures, Moirin has to remind herself time and time again that things get ugly when mortals misinterpret the will of the gods.

My Rating (out of 5)