I'm not sure what attracted me to this book, but there was an exotic aspect to the back-cover teaser that got my attention. Kushiel's Dart is medieval fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, but the "sorcery" is sexual rather than magickal.

Phedre is a "whore's get"--and in medieval terms, that's pretty low on the totem pole. In Jacqueline Carey's universe, Phedre's nominally in a kingdom corresponding to Gaul/France. 'Yeshua ben Yosef' is acknowledged, as is "Tiberium," but Christianity doesn't dominate Western Europe as in the real world. This gives Carey a great deal of latitude regarding sexual mores. Written in the first person, Phedre tells the story of how she was given over by her mother to a "house" of the "Night Court." The men and women of the Night Court see their role as offerings to a god, so sex-for-money is acceptable. Phedre's contract/indenture is purchased by a player, a poet and adventurer who educates her, training her to become his spy amongst the nobles of the land.

I'll leave the plot exposition at that. What impresses me about this book are several things. First, the Carey's universe turns medieval Christian mores on their head. There's not much Phedre does that didn't happen anyway, but the hypocrisy of the Church is missing. One might argue this is a cop-out on part of many fantasy authors who aren't very well-educated on the Church, but clearly Carey knows what she's about, and has done a great job of creating an "alternate theology" that works.

Second, the "good story" here involves the sex. Phedre likes it rough, as it were, but it's the way she's wired. She's an anguisette, someone who truly gets off on the pain. Her patron and mentor recognizes this and allows her to make her way in the world, using her talents to make him money and to gather intelligence about the doings of the nobility. The author weaves a wonderful tale of intrigue, scheming on both a personal and a grand scale. Epic battles on land and sea, with trials and tribulations for the main characters that are both exciting and bittersweet.

Kushiel's Dart is an interesting cross between a fantasy and a romance novel. Ms. Carey did well with her universe, throwing in more than just bodice-ripping. The concept of the "adepts" of the Night Court is developed well. Sex scenes in the book aren't bodice-rippers, but are of a level you don't see in most "vanilla" fantasy novels.

Kushiel's Dart is exactly what the jaded fantasy reader needs, a sexual boost. Even if you don't continue with Phedre's exploits in subsequent titles, this is an enjoyable read.