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| Kushiel's Mercy | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
Category: EBooks
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $7.19
You Save: $12.80 (64%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  40 reviews
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B001ACU1YW
Publication Date: June 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
KUSHIEL'S MERCY is the third book, and conclusion of the Imriel Trilogy and the sixth book in the Kushiel's Legacy series.Having learned their lesson about thwarting Elua's precept love as thou wilt, Imriel and Sidonie have confessed their love publicly, only to see it bring turmoil to their country. Those old enough cannot forget the horrible deeds of Imriel's mother, Melisande, who sold out their country forcing many to lose fathers and brothers to war. Finally Ysandre, the queen, sets down a decree--she will not divide the lovers, but neither will she acknowledge them. And if they were to marry, Sidonie would be disinherited. That is, unless Imriel finds his mother and brings her back to Terre D'Ange for execution for treason. When a general from Carthage comes bearing tribute, he tricks the residents of the city of Elua in a foul, magical way. Marrying Sidonie, the general carts her off with plans to conquer an empire for himself. Terre D'Ange is in chaos, which will soon accelerate into near civil war.Though they always seem mismatched, Imriel and Sidonie learn that blessed Elua always puts hearts together for a purpose. The great, glorious, transcendental love that binds Sidonie and Imriel, even when they don't seem to know themselves, will help them to save several nations from war and servitude.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 35 more reviews...
 Heart-wrenching, tortuous, tragic - Kushiel have Mercy! June 10, 2008
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
As the second - and please Elua, not final - cycle of the Kushiel's Legacy series comes to a close, the central question most fans will be asking is, Will Imriel and Sidonie live happily ever after? Rest assured, Carey gives us plenty of these two star-crossed lovers (complete with requisite scorching hot bedroom scenes - whee!). But she's not content with just giving us their love story, oh no. She's not even content with giving us another of Imriel's soul-seaching, personal growth quests. In "Kushiel's Mercy," the pattern more closely resembles that of Phedre's trilogy, as Imriel finally gets his chance to save the world, and the woman he loves, from evil magic and the threat of war.
Part of the joy in this book comes from the way Carey skillfully brings everything full circle. In the past, Melisande Shahrizai has been the greatest threat to Terre d'Ange and the one impediment to Imriel and Sidonie's happiness; now she is the realm's, and the princess's, only hope for salvation. In "Avatar," Phedre and Joscelin sought the secret name of God in order to bind an angel; here, Imriel and Sidonie must find the magic word that will free a demon. In "Chosen," a loyal Barquiel l'Envers held the City of Elua while Queen Ysandre raced with her army to avert a coup; in "Mercy".... Well, I'll let you read that one for yourself.
Can I wax rhapsodic for a minute about the fact that one seriously undervalued character, who's been around - and maligned - almost since Day One, finally gets his due? I've had a guilty crush on Barquiel l'Envers for ages now, and it's nice to see my conviction in his wonderfulness finally justified. I love that he steps up here and that he finally gets the recognition he deserves. Terre d'Ange got the better part of the bargain when the l'Envers wed into House Courcel, and not just because of Ysandre. Barquiel has proved himself again and again to be one of her greatest heroes - albeit one of her more prickly, bitter, sarcastic ones. I also love that Alais gets a moment in the sun. She's one of those characters who, no matter how much face time Carey gives her, I want more of. Her ability to stand up for herself and choose her own future - even if it's not the one I would have chosen for her - is one of the happiest outcomes of the entire book.
"Mercy" doesn't quiiiiiite meet the amazingly high bar set by "Justice," in my opinion. Carey leans a little too heavily on a few moments that should just float freely, while not giving enough weight to some other scenes that should be filled with emotional significance. The much-anticipated reappearance of Melisande Shahrizai was rather anticlimactic. And by the 87th time Carey ended a chapter by having Imriel and Sidonie cuddle each other to sleep, I wanted to yell, "We get it! They love each other! So sweet! Get back to the naughty sex!" These are minor quibbles, though, in such a magnificent work.
Meanwhile, one of the most disconcerting - and, I fear that for some fans, disappointing - aspects of this book is that almost all of the major characters spend so much time acting very much out of character. Imriel goes mad and then believes that he's someone else, Sidonie loses a large chunk of her memory, and - most heartbreaking of all - the entire City of Elua falls under a spell that turns them into delusional paranoiacs, barely recognizable to us. I hadn't realized just how much the series still relied on Phedre's resourcefulness, Joscelin's grim determination, Ysandre's wry strength, and Drustan's good humor until they were gone. Terre d'Ange without those beloved characters is a strange and alien place. The madness that haunts the City was, to me, a worse tragedy than any hardship that befell the two young lovers. It really serves to drive home Imriel and Sidonie's despair at what's befallen their homeland, and lends some serious emotional weight to a truly nervewracking climax, but I worry that some readers might not be able to handle it. All I can say is, stick with it! The payoff is well worth the pain (which is pretty much the motto of the entire series, now isn't it?)
Did I mention that I love, love, love this book? Quibbles and nitpicks and worries aside, I simply cannot imagine this series ending any other way. I was torn between racing to see what happened next, and trying to drag out every page to make the experience linger as long as I could. "Kushiel's Mercy" is the perfect conclusion to the Legacy, even if I'm still not ready for it to end!
Saving the world one Kushiel book at a time June 2, 2008
17 out of 20 found this review helpful
The third installment of Imriel's story promises to be an epic adventure and it is. After Kushiel's Justice, there were questions to be answered: Will Imriel earn the Queen's and the realm's approval to marry Sidonie, the Dauphine? What about Melisande, Imriel's mother and traitor of Terre d'Ange? And, will the mystery of the Unseen Guild be unraveled?
For those new to the Kushiel series, it brings to us great adventures full of horror, surprise, tenderness, betrayal, hope, and love. It should also be noted that although part of the plot, it does contain adult sexual material. Throughout the two trilogies, the main theme is love leads to courage. Descended from angels, the D'Angelines hold a mystery of their own: They are touched by their gods. Where other cultures hold empty rituals for their gods, the D'Angelines are guided, blessed, and cursed by theirs. Like Phedre, who is Kushiel's tool and the main character of the first trilogy, Imriel is a scion of Kushiel and a wielder of his justice...whether he likes it or not. But he's a kind person, who loves deeply and strives to be a man untainted by his mother's plots. However, throughout the world, the children of Elua are accepted by some, yet there are others who are jealous and would exploit them.
Not to ruin the story, in this one Imriel and Sidonie will try to keep their promise to not break Blessed Elua's precept, "love as thou wilt," for in the end it could be what saves them. How can the traitor's spawn find acceptance when the realm see he's doing exactly what they feared: seducing the Dauphine to gain the throne? How can a son bring his own mother to her execution? And, can Terre d'Ange survive the political schemes of their neighbors? Imriel's quest takes him across the world to Cythera (Cypress), Carthage (Africa), and Argonia (Spain), through sea voyages, battles, and foreign cities and cultures. Previous characters make appearances and youngsters blossom into the leaders they were meant to be. In the end all the loose ends are tied up with a hint to more tales from other character's perspectives, which would be a welcome addition penned from such an imaginative writer.
Finally, what does the series endeavor to show us? For all things in life, we need great adventures whether to amuse us or to show us what's deep down in our souls...to prove our worth. The Kushiel series laments on a deeper journey, finding love and acceptance in the balance of life: from deep sorrow comes great love, from unerring deception comes enduring trust.
 Sorry, but I'm rather disappointed July 3, 2008
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Well, I've been waiting for nearly 12 months for this book. I really didn't know what to expect so I had no preconceptions about the plot. I was desperate to find out how the problem of Melisande would be resolved and looked forward to finding out what Machiavellian plot Carey would think up. In the previous 5 books this has been what I enjoyed most - the political machinations, the wicked characters who show no remorse when their actions result in thousands of deaths, the roguish characters who turn out to be loyal, brave and trustworthy and help the hero or heroine save the day.
Did I get any of this? Barely. The main plotline regarding the magic spell was cheap and tawdry. If you think back to Darsanga, the 'magic' there was more spiritual in its origin (albeit from an evil source) but the Carthaginian magic is of the Derren Brown variety. It just feels like a cheap stage trick.
Where was the exciting resolution of the problem with Melisande? This felt like a cop-out rather than the ironic twist that it was presented as.
I know Carey has tried to bring in certain incidents and scenarios to 'echo' events in previous books. This is brave but doesn't really work - it just feels like we are getting recycled storylines that are less convincing the second time around.
Although I feel this book falls way short of the standard of the previous 5 books it was still a good read. I loved the bit where Imriel is being someone else - the writing here is exciting and innovative and explores new topics. My favourite character of the whole book is Kratos - he is solid, dependable, calm and surprisingly intelligent.
So, I know a lot of you will disagree with my comments but I felt I had to offer an alternative view in the midst of the glowing praise as my experience was less wonderful. I too would enjoy a new series on Terre D'Ange set a few hundred years later - I feel sure that new characters would revitalise Carey's view of this world.
Heartbreaking Twists June 3, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Book number six in Kushiel's Legacy concludes (?) Imriel's story where he is finally with his love, Sidonie, but despite all the previous challenges of Imriel's love, the Queen gives one more challenge in order to allow the two to marry. Imriel is given the challenge of finding his mother, Melisande and bringing her back to Terre d'Ange to meet justice. However, this isn't going to be a straight up quest for his mother - that's been done before, after all. The plot twist that Carey presents is a stroke of pure heartbreaking genius that turns everything that we know about the characters upside down - the details of which I hope no future reviewers spoil.
This is one of the few fantasy series I have read where every book stands on its own as an individual work that does not rely on the previous book for its success. That being said, you are going to be really confused if you have not read the previous books. Start with Kushiel's Dart, the beginning of Phedre's story. At the very least, start with Kushiel's Scion. This is not the book to start with, for part of its success lies in the connection that has developed between the readers and the characters in the past few books.
One of the weaknesses of the book is that there are times where things suddenly go from detailed, drawn out tension to solved in comparatively few pages. There are also some character tensions that could have been explored more and some that could have been not focused on as much. But those are minor weaknesses. Over all, the book is well written and a very creative way to wrap up the series. I highly recommend this book, particularly if you have been following the previous books.
"Time can but make her beauty over again" June 10, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I quote Yeats with Melisande Shahrizai firmly in mind. For the last two books I've waited to see the perilous beauty again, knowing she'd have to appear again at some point. Her machinations and her legacy have always been at the heart of the series, even when she was unseen.
At the beginning of _Kushiel's Mercy_, Melisande's shadow lies heavily over her estranged son, Imriel de la Courcel. Imriel is in love with the Dauphine, Sidonie, but Sidonie's mother the Queen does not fully trust Imriel. And, too, there are many other D'Angelines who are suspicious of Imriel as a result of Melisande's crimes. The Queen forbids Imriel and Sidonie to wed unless Imriel finds his mother and brings her to justice.
Before Imriel can do that, though, a terrible enchantment falls upon the City of Elua, and Imriel is the only one who can save both Sidonie and Terre d'Ange. And the only people he can trust to help him in his quest are two of his greatest enemies.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoyed the previous five. It has it all: dire magic, forbidden love, transcendent spirituality, devastating war--and yes, sex. There is not as much sex as there is in some of the previous installments, but what's here is beautiful, lit as it is with Imriel and Sidonie's love. If you liked the waterfall scene between Phedre and Joscelin in _Avatar_, you will like the love scenes in _Mercy_.
I can't say much more without ruining the plot, but I will say that when I turned the last page, I cheered Jacqueline Carey for a job well done.
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