Imriel de la Courcel's birth parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phèdre 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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"I am again blown away by Jacqueline Carey's incredible story-telling! I am so thoroughly involved in the milieu she creates that it seems to be reality while real life pales in comparison. Carey is masterful with her vignettes of the seemingly uneventful but profound moments of everyday life that unknowingly shape the future with their consequences. It is sheer joy to experience it unfolding with such skill. Her ability to subtly foreshadow plot lines without giving anything away makes for constant surprises. It is so satisfying to not be able to figure out what's coming but still have your mind challenged about what is to come. Carey shows the human condition in all its facets and is amazing with revealing the ways that relationships are formed and develop over time. She captures all the ways we bond, how trust is betrayed and forgiven and how we learn, grow and gain wisdom from our experiences, all in incredible true-to-life fashion. I also love how she continues to emphasize certain themes throughout this series: "Love as thou wilt." "All knowledge is worth having." And avoid ill thoughts, ill words, ill deeds. I am midway through the 5th book in the series and I am already dreading the moment I finish the 6th and final book of Kushiel's Legacy."
— Shelley (5 out of 5 stars)
“The specter of Imriel’s sinister, absent mother, Melisande Shahrizai, looms over the action. Credible and gripping, this is heroic fantasy at its finest.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Evoking the same stunned awe that the tryptych of Kushiel’s Dart, Kushiel’s Chosen, and Kushiel’s Avatar did, the Imriel trilogy is off to a smashing start…Intelligent, sexy, heartbreakingly human, Carey at her intoxicating best.”
— Booklist (starred review)Intelligent, sexy, heartbreakingly human.... Carey at her intoxicating best.
— Booklist Starred Review" Just not as gripping as the trilogy about Phedre, although I do enjoy Imriel as a narrator. The whole section in Tiberium became quite nonsensical! Won't stop me reading the rest of the trilogy - Carey's prose is still exquisite :-) "
— Amanda, 2/16/2014" Not as good as the first three books in the series. I miss Phedre. Still, worth reading if you've read the others. Hopeing the next one is better. "
— Lula, 1/23/2014" It's been years since I read a book in Jacqueline Carey's Kusheil universe, and I was not disappointed. Her writing is as sexy and well crafted as ever, her characters are realisitic, and the new protaganist, Imriel, is likable. I will cerainly read the other two books in this second trilogy! "
— Willow, 1/19/2014" This was my least favorite book in the series. I liked entering the world again, but the story is weak and I found myself being annoyed a lot. I'll definitely read the rest of the series because I love the characters, but I'm hoping the excitement in the next book picks up significantly. "
— Jessica, 1/5/2014" Imriel is a little booding for me, but as long as you can handle the story told from someone else's perspective then from Phedre's you should be ok. It's a good read in it's own right. I really love the word of Terre D'Ange. "
— Kimberly, 12/27/2013" Still a fun read though we're spinning away from the main heroine so not as interesting in my book. "
— Juliet, 12/11/2013" The only reason I gave the second Kushiel trilogy 4 stars and not 5 is because I feel Phedre's story is much more powerful and original than Imriel's, although Imriel was a very interesting and complex character in his own right. "
— Julie, 12/8/2013" i could feel myself age . . .needed to be edited down "
— Terri, 11/10/2013" Loved the book and have started the second one in the trology. Carey weaves a wonferful story. "
— Joanna, 2/17/2013" Entertaining but a lot of inappropriate stuff. I do not reccomend it to readers who do not want to read about sexual situations. "
— Annette, 8/22/2012" I love the addition of characters and stories to go along with what was already an awesome story. "
— Jennifer, 4/17/2012" Unfortunaetly a little long winded, but in her usual style Carey can write like no other. I love her work and hope someday I can write this well. "
— Joanne, 2/16/2012" this is the first in the Imriel trilogy. still told in the first person perspective, it's a bit jarring to jump into another voice, but Carey does well with it. I am anxious to get the next in this series, so that I can continue to follow Imriel as he grows into himself. "
— Kat, 12/1/2011" I did like this a lot, but I did find some of it a little annoying, particularly the characterisation of Claudia and Sibeael. However, it was an enjoyable read, well paced and richly imagined. "
— danny, 10/26/2011" I like this whole series. It is rather sexual, which I am not a fan of, but the stories are excellent and I look forward to each book. "
— Lee, 5/16/2011" Rampage, wrong place at the wrong time. The ending fits the story line well. "
— Sheryl, 5/14/2011" Imri is a whiny teenagers and falls for the sun princess, then goes to uni and meets the man with 2 faces. "
— Manda, 5/14/2011" A transitional book, loose and poorly defined. Tightens up at the end... but you have to slog a bit to get there. "
— Kate, 4/28/2011" The next part of this series continues with the adventures of Phèdre's Foster Son and friends and the intrigues that surround the royal court. "
— Willa, 4/28/2011" I loved returning to Jacqueline Carey's lush world of intrigue, but I missed Phedre's narrative voice. It took me a while to connect with Imriel at first. Still, a great read! "
— Jacquelyn, 3/22/2011" Very enjoyable. There are loose ends to tie up. I have the next book in my to-read pile. :) Thanks goodness for the library! "
— Bunnyk, 3/15/2011" Carey's writing has definitely gotten better over the course of the series: less flowery, more succinct. Or maybe that's the difference between Imriel's voice over Phedre's? In either case, I like it. "
— Ana, 3/10/2011" This is the darkest of the series. Disturbing and haunting, I found it hard to read through. You could say that it was excellent since it conveyed to me the despair of the characters where Imriel is rescued by Phedre and Joscelin from a dark place ruled by a madman. Dark. "
— Sonia, 2/2/2011" I loved this book almost as much as I've loved all the other ones but I got a little bored towards the end of the middle. "
— Theresa, 1/13/2011" Now for the second trilogy! Now we follow Phedre and Joscelin's foster son. The story is so incredibly dense and detailed. A great read! "
— Peggy, 1/11/2011Jacqueline Carey is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy series of historical fantasy novels; the Sundering series, an epic fantasy duology; and the postmodern fables Santa Olivia and Saints Astray, among others.
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.