Kushiel's Dart (2001) (edit title/settings)

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Characters edit see section history

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• Phedre no Delaunay: Delaunay's pupil, an anguissette. Has a small fleck of red in one eye. Sold by her parents into indentured servitude
• Anafiel Delaunay: Noble. Purchases Phedre's marque from the House of Cereus and she becomes his pupil
• Alcuin no Delaunay: Delaunay's pupil; also a Servant of Naamah
• Guy: Delaunay's man. Had trained for a period as a Casseline.
• Joscelin Verreuil: Cassiline Brother, from Siovale. Hired by Delauney to protect Phedre when she goes on her assignations. Later, becomes sworn to the Queen's service, and thus, to Phedre's.
• Ysandre de la Courcel: Daughter of Rolande and Isabel; Dauphine.
• Rolande de la Courcel: Dauphin - deceased.
• Isabel L'Envers de la Courcel: Wife of Rolande, Princess-Consort - deceased.
• Barquiel L'Envers: Brother of Isabel. Duc L'Envers, from Namarre. Ysandre's uncle
• Baudoin de Trevalion: Son of Lyonette and Marc; Prince of the Blood.
• Lyonette de Trevalion: Sister of Ganelon (King of Terre d'Ange); Princess of the Blood; wife of Marc de Trevalion (Duc of Trevalion); known as the "Lioness of Azzalle."
• Isidore d'Aiglemort: Duc d'Aiglemort, from Camlach.
• Childric d'Essoms: Noble; member of Court of Chancery. One of Delaunay's adversaries.
• Cecilie Laveau-Perrin: Former adept of Cereus house; tutor to Phedre and Alcuin.
• Quincel de Morhban: Duc de Morhban, from Kusheth.
• Melisande Shahrizai: Noble, from Kusheth.
• Percy de Somerville: Comte de Somerville, from L'Agnace; Prince of the Blood; Royal Commander.
• Gunter Arnlaugson: Head of steading in Skaldia.
• Hedwig: Woman in Gunter's steading.
• Waldemar Selig: Head of steading in Skaldia; Warlord.
• Lodur the One-Eyed: Priest of Odhinn
• Hyacinthe: Friend to Phedre; Tsingani; known as "Prince of Travellers."
• Drustan mab Necthana: Son of Necthana (sister of the Cruarch of Alba); Prince of the Picti. Cruithne
• Eamonn mac Conor: Twin Brother of Grainne; Lord of the Dalriada.
• Grainnne mac Conor: Twin sister of Eamonn; Lady of the Dalriada.
• Master of the Straits: Controls the seas between Alba and Terre d'Ange.
• Thelesis de Mornay: King's Poet.
• Quintilius Rousse: Royal Admiral.
• Fortun: Sailor; one of Phedre's Boys.
• Remy: Sailor; one of Phedre's Boys.
• Ti-Philippe: Sailor; one of Phedre's Boys.
• Brennan: Grainne's son. Dalraida
• Neci: Tsingani. Married to Gisella
• Gisella: Tsingani. Married to Neci
• Jean Marchand: Rousse's second in command
• Moiread: Drustan's sister. Cruithne
• Necthana: Drustan's mother. Cruithne
• Breidaia: Drustan's sister. Cruithne
• Carraig: Eamonn's champion. Dalraida.
• Sibeal: Drustan's sister. Cruithne
• Maelcon: Usurper of Drustan's throne. Cruithne.
• Foclaidha: Maelcon's mother. Cruithne
• Gildas: Servant of the Master of Straits.
• Tilian: Servant of the Master of Straits.
• Lelahiah Valais: Ysandre's doctor
• Luc Verreuil: Joscelin's older brother.
• Millard Verreuil: Joscelin's father. Chevalier
• Purnell Friote: Phedre's seneschal
• Richeline Friote: Purnell's wife
• Seth ben Yavin: Phedre's tutor in Yeshuite.
• Anasztaizia: Hyacinthe's mother. Daughter of King of Tsingani. Uses the dromonde to see the past or future.
• Manoj: Hyacinthe's grandfather. King of Tsingani.
• Liliane de Souverain: Phedre's mother
• Abhirati: Hyacinthe's great grandmother
• Pierre Cantrel: Phedre's father.
• Jareth Moran: Second of and later the Dowayne of Cereus House
• Suriah: Adept at Cereus House
• Pepin Lachet: Member of Exchequer. One of Phedre's patrons
• Solaine Balfours: Marquise. Secretary of the Privy Seal
• Ganelon de la Courcel: King of Terre d'Ange
• Gonzago de Escabares: Delaunay's former teacher
• Marc de Trevalian: Brother-in-law of Ganelon. Married to Lyonette.
• Bernadette de Trevalian: Marc and Lyonette's daughter
• Rogier Clavel: One of Phedre's patrons.
• Miqueth: Mercenary. Hired briefly to accompany Phedre on assignations.
• Japheth no Eglantine-Vardennes: Playwright. Thelesis' friend
• Comte de Villiers: Isidore's friend.
• Michel Entrevaux: Captain of Melisande's guard.
• Roxanne De Mereliot: Duchese of Evande
• Tibault: Comte de Toluard
• Rinforte: Cassiline Prefect

Quotes edit see section history

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• “That which yields is not always weak.”

  Hyacinthe, then Phèdre

• “When Love cast me out, it was Cruelty who took pity upon me.”

  Phèdre

• “There is no fulfillment that is not made sweeter for the prolonging of desire.”

  Phèdre

• “Yes my lord, but questions are dangerous, for they have answers”

  Phèdre

• “To have a traitor for an ally is to have an enemy in waiting”

  Phèdre

• “All knowledge is worth having”

  Delaunay to Phèdre to Hyacinthe

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• It is a human failing, to attribute the best of motives to those we know the least, and the worst to those we love best;

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• “That which yields, is not always weak. Choose your victories wisely.”

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• It is a fine line, in all of us, between civilization and savagery. To any who think they would never cross it, I can only say, if you have never known what it is to be utterly betrayed and abandoned, you cannot know how close it is.

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• Pain and delight, I took from him, and gave him back both, until we understood, the both of us, how they are intertwined, how one does not come without the other.

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• “Only insofar as you enjoy being sorry, my dear, which, while it is a considerable amount, occurs only after the fact, thus making it a singularly ineffective deterrent,

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• There are those who are awkward in the face of sorrow, fearing to say the wrong thing; to them, I say, there is no wrong in comfort, ever. A kind word, a consoling arm … these things are ever welcome.

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• It is my observation, though, that happiness limits the amount of suffering one is willing to inflict upon others.

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• The poets do not sing of this, either, how death begets the urge toward life.

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• In the general course of things, when beauty passes, the flower bows its head upon the stem and fails. Sometimes, though, when the petals droop, a framework of tempered steel is revealed within.

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• “Will you teach me to play the game of thrones? I think not, Delaunay.”

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Terre d'Ange: Home of the D'Angeline race; followers of Elua.
• City of Elua: Capital city of Terre d'Ange
• L'Agnace: The grape-rich D'Angeline province that was home to Anael; where the City of Elua sits.
• Eisande: The seaside D'Angeline province that was home to Eisheth; always ruled by a woman.
• Siovale: The D'Angeline province that was home of Shemhazai; it has a great tradition of learning.
• Kusheth: The rocky D'Angeline province that was home to Kusheth.
• Azzalle: The northernmost D'Angeline province that was home to Azza; within sight of Alba.
• Namarre: The fertile D'Angeline province that was home to Naamah.
• Camlach: The mountainous D'Angeline province that was home to Camael.
• Caerdicca Unitas: A collection of city-states to the southwest of Terre d'Ange, bordering Eisande and Camlach. All that remains of the mighty Tiberian Empire.
• Skaldia: A mountainous (and barbarous) nation east of Terre d'Ange.
• Alba: An island nation directly north of Terre d'Ange; unreachable due to the Master of the Straits' influence. Home of the Cruithne (that scholars call the Picti); the only nation never conquered by Tiberium.
• Eire: An island west of Alba.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Anguissette: One pricked by Kushiel's Dart (a red mote in the eye), chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Kushiel's Chosen.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Jacqueline Carey (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Locus Award (2002: Best First Novel)
• Audie Award (2010: Science Fiction and Fantasy)
• Gaylactic Spectrum Award (Finalist, 2002: Best Novel)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PS3603.A74 K8 2001
• Dewey: 813

Notes for Parents edit see section history

This novel portrays sex, sado-masochistic sex, homosexuality, and prostitution as sacred to its particular gods. Anyone who is made uneasy by these subjects should avoid this series. That being said, it also contains strong themes regarding love, honor, loyalty and an epic love story. It also contains a high volume of violence and war that may not be suitable to certain audiences.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Fantasy › Epic
• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Fantasy › Historical
• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Authors, A-Z › ( C )

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history