Editorial Product Review:Item Description:Imriel de la Courcel's birth parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phedre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions. Stolen, tortured and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood; third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty and desire. It is a court steeped in deeply laid conspiracies...and there are many who would see the young prince dead. Some despise him out of hatred for his mother, Melisande, who nearly destroyed the entire realm in her quest for power. Others because they fear he has inherited his mother's irresistible allure...and her dangerous gifts. As he comes of age, plagued by unwanted desires, Imriel shares their fears. When a simple act of friendship traps Imriel in a besieged city where the infamous Melisande is worshiped as a goddess and where a dead man leads an army, the Prince must face his greatest test: to find his true self.
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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A new life, a new chapter
This first in a trilogy of novels follows Prince Imriel de la Courcel, Ysandre's nephew by the exiled criminal Melisande de Shahirizai. It is narrated by Imriel himself rather than Phedre, in a turn that takes a reader of the saga a bit to get used to. Carey pulls it off, however, and manages to portray Imriel's inner struggle with his identity and his wish to somehow be a hero like his foster parents very clearly.
The book moves a bit slower than earlier works, but in the end Imriel jumps head first into the action and discovers a little more of who he is and who he can be.
Customer Rating: 
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A disappointment
Having read--and ultimately enjoyed--the original three books in this universe at the suggestion of my wife, I was hoping to find this new series as enjoyable. Sadly, if this first book is any indication, it won't be.
First, let me say that the book was not terrible. Jacqueline Carry writes very well and creates a cast of characters that are rather three-dimensional. Her odd, alternate-history universe continues to be an interesting blend of early Renaissance and Classical cultures.
But without rehashing the plot as many reviewers have, I will simply say that I found Imriel to be a less than compelling narrator and the story itself similar underwhelming. While I want to feel sympathy for Imriel given his plight in the last book, I instead find myself rather bored by his incessant angst and quasi-adventures.
The book starts rather well. I found Imriel's initial development to be interesting enough. But by the time he heads off to Tiberium (Rome), the book takes a turn. The entire second act was rather uninteresting to me. Not awful, mind you--just not enormously interesting. I rarely felt compelled to read the book--only obligated.
The third act is better than the second, but not what I would call "gripping." Kudos to Carrey for at least making some attempt at portraying a siege a bit more realistically than the (largely ahistorical) "army shows up, army assaults town" strategy that most fantasy authors prefer. Still, the siege does end with an assault of sorts, so I'm not sure how far to extend my appreciation for her attempt to break the mould here. Renaissance siege engines weren't good enough?
I'm hoping the series improves. I found the original series did so: books two and three of the first series were a good bit better than the first, in my opinion. But the Imriel trilogy has a lot more to improve upon than the first trilogy did after Kushiel's Dart. Because Carry's mastery of the English language alone will not be sufficient to carry two more books at this rate.
Customer Rating: -
parts are good...
I have to admit, I am disappointed. The first trilogy (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar) was incredible. This was not. While Imriel is an engaging character with his own flaws, weaknesses, strengths, and desires, I just don't think he can compare with Phedre. Furthermore, in this book at least, all that really happens is the set-up, a lot of whining, and some limited self-discovery. In Kushiel's Dart we had all that plus an over-arching plot, a deadly struggle, and many battles (both physical and political). Here, Imri goes to college. Hardly the same scale, is it?
Jacqueline Carey is an incredible writer and her writing style here is, as always, beautiful, eloquent, and evocative. Yet, the plot falls through. The reader finds him or herself caring more about Phedre and Joscelin (who are little more than cameos, here), Alais (whose importance declines very quickly, and just about everyone else more than Imriel.
So, on the whole, for those who really loved the first three books, this one is worth a read. However, don't get your hopes up.
Customer Rating: -
Kushiel's Justice lives up to it's Author's reputation
J. Carey moves seemlessly from her Phaedre character to Imriel, bringing the same intense characterisations and well paced story development. Again the backdrops for the drama are intriging and rich; I would love to visit the worlds she builds in my head! As a reader I was immediately drawn into Imriel's problems, and could only watch as he made in- character descisions in awful situations. His triumphs were mine, his pain palpable.
