Kushiel's Dart

[Brian G Turner]

I wouldn't know how to categorize the Kushiel series (laugh).

I've considered trying out Kushiel's Dart a couple of times, but it looks too much like it's primarily erotic fiction, and just happens to have a fantasy background. The description says the main character is a sex slave who must engage in a range of sado-masochistic acts, and is especially talented at it. Hm.

 

[Koopa]

Re: The Winds of Winter publishing date guesses?

After what Eulalia said, i looked it up, and wikipedia says it's a book about descendants of agels (or so) who consider prostitution a holy act, seeing as one of the godesses sold her body during their journey before settling down to make for travel funds. It reminds me a bit about the whorehouse Tyrion visits.

 

[Eulalia]

Re: The Winds of Winter publishing date guesses?

I'm not sure Kushiel is meant to be mostly erotic. I think Carey is taking huge elements of Christianity and it's fixation on sexual purity and the burden of the notions of original sin (shaming of sex, glorification of virginity, tribal possession of women as property, misogyny), and doing an alternative world where sexuality is expressed positively as long as it is mutual and consenting, or negatively when it isn't. Radical in our society. The world is intriguing and well drawn and takes place mostly in an alt France.

I notice GRRM carefully keeps his younger characters pure (except for Cersei and Jaime). I guess we would not tolerate otherwise. Yes, he does leave the potential for prostitution as not reflecting badness.

 

[Tywin]

Re: The Winds of Winter publishing date guesses?

Kushiel's Dart was recommended to me (strongly recommended) by a girl I kind of knew. I bought the book off Amazon without much thought and had it shipped to where I was at. I saw the cover, read a couple pages, and quickly re-evaluated the relationship I had with that girl.

 

[Eulalia]

Re: The Winds of Winter publishing date guesses?

If my honey seriously recommended Kushiel's Dart as a relationship manual, I would probably have the same reaction! For me it is more of a curiosity and about as real as reading in SFF from a dude's point of view (usually) or reading about flying on dragons, or Westeros. Or removing sex altogether. And it is interesting to have the usual "sins of Eve" notions in our culture re-imagined.

One of the cool things about GRRM, is that he attempts to put some variations back in the picture. Like Dany is susceptible to Daarios (kind of more age appropriate than willingly making an icky match for alliance reasons, even if people don't sympathize with her). Or Tyrion having a few issues with intimacy! Or the gay warrior thing with Loras. Anyway, way off the thread topic, I suppose!

 

[Brian G Turner]

Re: The Winds of Winter publishing date guesses?

You're right - I'll split this off into it's own thread.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I've tried to read it to the end a couple of times, but failed. Bored me. I think it's the first volume of a trilogy.