Kushiel's Chosen

Infobox Book
name = Kushiel's Chosen


author = Jacqueline Carey
cover_artist = John Jude Palencar
country = United States
language = English
series = Kushiel's Legacy
genre = Fantasy
publisher = Tor Books
release_date = 2002
pages = 700 p.
isbn = ISBN 0-312-87239-9
preceded_by = Kushiel's Dart
followed_by = Kushiel's Avatar

"Kushiel's Chosen" is a historical fantasy or alternate history by Jacqueline Carey. It is a sequel to Kushiel's Dart and the second novel in the Kushiel's Legacy series.

Synopsis

In the novel, the journey of famed anguissette, Phèdre nó Delaunay brings her all the way to Caerdicca Unitas, chasing after the path of the best-known traitoress in Terre d'Ange, Melisande Shahrizai. Even still, the curse of her one true friend, Hyacinthe, haunts her. She has a long way to go if she will ever have the chance to free him from the curse that should have been hers. It is all she can do to keep madness at bay and try to stay one step ahead of Melisande.

Plot summary

The Hunt for Melisande

Kushiel's Dart, the first book in the Kushiel's Legacy trilogy, ends with the arrival of a mysterious gift at Montrève, the Comtesse Phedre no Delaunay's quiet country estate. Kushiel's Chosen picks up immediately after an Italian merchant and former acquaintance presents Phèdre with her sangoire cloak, last worn when she was betrayed by Melisande Shahrizai, the deadly but beautiful and manipulative scion of Kushiel. She takes it upon herself to find out how Melisande escaped from Troyes-le-Mont, the fortress featured during the climatic Battle of Troyes-le-Mont in Kushiel's Dart.

With her chevaliers, Remy, Fortun and Ti-Phillipe (see Phedre's Boys), and her lover and protector Joscelin Verreuil, the former Cassiline brother, Phèdre returns to the City of Elua, to resume her life as a Servant of Naamah in the hopes of descerning where Melisande is and what she plans. Unfortunately, the return to Namaah's service causes an uncomfortable rift between her and Joscelin Verreuil, who is becoming increasingly interested in the Habiru religion of the Yeshuites.

One of her assignations is the half-d'Angeline Prince, Severio Stregazza. The Stregazza family are the family of the Doge in La Serenissima and are allied through marriage with House Courcel. Phedre also has an assignation with Nicola L'Envers y Aragon, a d'Angeline married to the brother of the King of Aragonia to whom she gives her the Lover's Token. Nicola in return gives her the word of house L'Envers, a command that goes above all others and must be followed without question by all persons of House L'Envers.

La Serenissima & the Missing Guardsmen

Finding only dead ends, however, she decides to travel to the La Serenissima in Caerdicca Unitas, in her order to track down the missing guardsmen of Troyes-le-Mont. While there she is again courted by Severio Stregazza and learns of corruption within the temple of Asherat-of-the-Sea. Phèdre also learns that Prince Benedicte de la Courcel has re-married. His wife is a D'Angeline woman whose entire family died in the war with Skaldia. She has taken the veil of Asherat-of-the-Sea, the religion of La Serenissima, as a symbol of her constant mourning of their loss. Her and Benedicte de la Courcel have a new-born son together and both live in "The Litte Court" - the Terre d'Ange Embassy and residences in La Serenissima. Phèdre also learns from Prince Benedicte's children that his marriage abroad has made him bitter. He dislikes that Queen Ysandre will taint the royal blood-line with Cruithne blood and sees all non-pure-D'Angelines as barbaric and inferior.

Upon realizing some crucial information, Phèdre decides to go and tell the Prince Benedicte de la Courcel what she has learned and that there may be a plot against the Queen. The evening before her meeting the uncomfortable rift between her and Joscelin finally snaps and he leaves her. In the morning, at her private meeting with the Prince she learns that the mysterious new, young wife of Prince Benedicte is Melisande herself. Melisande tells Phèdre that she will kill Queen Ysandre when she comes to tour Caerdicca Unitas later in the summer. This will mean that Benedicte de la Courcel, as the next member of the royal house, will inherit the throne. Prince Benedicte will then declare his pure-blooded D'Angeline son as heir to the throne, thereby purifying royal blood-line. In order to stop anyone from refusing their rule, Melisande has also blackmailed the Duc Percy de Somerville and his men to support them with military force. In order to kill Queen Ysandre, Melisande has also gotten one of the Cassiline royal guards to kill Ysandre in retribution for Ysandre's mother, Isabel L'Envers allegedly killing his sister, the late fiancee of Prince Rolande, Edmée de Rocaille.

La Dolorossa & Escape

Phèdre's discovery makes Melisande send her to the prison on the island of La Dolorosa, where the mourning of Asherat-of-the-Sea will eventually drive her mad. During her imprisonment, Melisande visits her and offers her a new prison: her own personal dungeon. Phèdre is left one night to contemplate the prospect when the alarm is raised. The island fortress is being attacked by Joscelin Verreuil, in an attempt to save Phèdre. Unfortunately, Phèdre falls off a cliff of La Dolorossa and is washed into the sea. While drowning in the incredible waves she vows to Asherat-of-the-Sea to clean her temple of its corruption in return for her life. The sea then throws her back to the surface with a plank of wood to hold on to.

In the morning she is rescued by an Illyrian pirate ship with a cursed capitain, Kazan Atribades, and suggests to them that they can ransom her to the D'Angeline throne. The pirates try this but are intercepted by La Serenissima patrols, told to watch for Phèdre. The patrols then take half of the crew hostage and send the others back with a meeting date to trade over Phèdre. The pirates, after getting their own crew back, then betray them and do not give Phèdre over. The pirates manage to escape. And her travels take her to Illyria, Kriti, and the city of Epidauro as she tries to send word back to the Queen. Her attempts to send a message to the Queen, however, are unsuccessful. She does, however, manage to get a message to Barquiel L'Envers, using the word of his house (given by Nicola L'Envers) to close the City of Elua so that it can not be taken by treason while Ysandre is in La Serenissima.

The Downfall

Eventually, Phèdre manages to smuggle herself back into La Serenissima, and finds Joscelin Verreuil in the Yeshuite quarter of the city. Together Joscelin manages to kill the assassin-Cassiline before he murders the Queen Ysandre de la Courcel. Prince Benedicte de la Courcel dies in the process and Melisande is revealed. Melisande is not arrested or killed, however, as the temple of Asherat has given her sanctuary. Her son is no where to be found and Melisande will not say where she has sent him.

But all is not yet solved. Melisande has sent riders on fast horses to secure the City of Elua and set about rumours that Ysandre is dead. Because Barquiel L'Envers has closed the city, thanks to Phedre's command and unknown by Melisande, the city cannot be taken but all of its surrounding area is. Ysandre rushes back to the City of Elua and disproves the rumours that she is dead by throwing coins that bear her image to the crowds and soldiers. Ysandre reclaims the throne of Terre d'Ange.

The novel ends with Joscelin finally being named Phèdre's formal . Joscelin is also named the Queen's Champion.

Awards and Nominations

"Kushiel's Chosen" was nominated for the 2003 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. [cite web
title = 2003 Locus Awards
publisher = The Locus Index to SF Awards
url = http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Locus2003.html
accessdate = 2006-12-28]

References