Cassiel’s Servant (Kushiel’s Legacy, 4)

In Kushiel’s Dart, Jacqueline Carey created a complex world full of gods and courtesans, telling the heroic narrative of Phedre, the daring young woman who uncovered a nefarious plot to overthrow her nation’s queen. But Phedre’s story is only half the tale, for she could not have survived without her Casseline warrior-priest and protector. Joscelin. The pair could not be more different—him swore to celibacy, her to pleasure. But in betrayal, they are bound together and depend on one another for survival.

In Cassiel’s Servant, readers finally get Josceline’s side of the story: his upbringing and service to Cassiel, his side of their imprisonment and escape, and his side of their love story. It’s a powerful narrative, playing off Phedre’s like hearing a married couple each tell the story of how they met. There are overlaps, but there are also vast differences in the experience.

This book contains all the characters readers know and love (or loathe!) from earlier books, but in a surprising new light, as seen from Josceline’s point of view. While there aren’t many surprises from the earlier book, experiencing this epic story from the other side is fresh and greatly enjoyable to devoted fans.