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    Kushiel's Justice
    Kushiel's Justice
    Kushiel's Justice
    Audiobook25 hours

    Kushiel's Justice

    Written by Jacqueline Carey

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Imriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, while his adoptive parents, Phegrave;dre and 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 beauty, art, and desire.

    After a year abroad to study at university, Imriel returns from his adventures a little older and somewhat wiser. But perhaps not wise enough. What was once a mere spark of interest between himself and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, who bears the stigma of his mother's misdeeds and betrayals. Praying that their passion will peak and fade, Imriel and Sidonie embark on an intense, secret affair.

    Blessed Elua founded Terre d'Ange and bestowed one simple precept to guide his people: Love as thou wilt. When duty calls, Imriel honors his role as a member of the royal family by leaving to marry a lovely, if merely sweet, Alban princess. By choosing duty over love, Imriel and Sidonie may have unwittingly trespassed against Elua's law. But when dark powers in Alba, who fear an invasion by Terre d'Ange, seek to use the lovers' passion to bind Imriel, the gods themselves take notice.

    Before the end, Kushiel's justice will be felt in heaven and on earth.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJan 19, 2009
    ISBN9781400179534
    Kushiel's Justice
    Author

    Jacqueline Carey

    New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey was born in 1964. After receiving BA degrees in Psychology and English Literature, she embarked on a writing career. Kushiel’s Avatar is her third fantasy novel, completing the Kushiel’s Legacy trilogy, which also includes Kushiel's Dart and Kushiel's Chosen.

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    Reviews for Kushiel's Justice

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    • 3/5
      Kushiel's Justice is the weakest of Jacqueline Carey's books that I've read so far, I think. I was enjoying it quite a lot, up to a point, and then somehow I just lost the urge to read it. Part of it is the unrelenting angst, and the fact that I don't love Imriel quite as much as I do Phèdre. I think the fact that it narrows down a lot from being events of massive importance to many people, to just being largely Imriel's personal journey, also makes it feel somewhat less urgent.

      There's also a sense in which I felt that boxes were being ticked, because they had to be. Happiness, check, soured a little by some ominous event, check. A moment of calm before the storm, check, and then the storm, check. The beginnings of an epic adventure, check, setback, check, shipwreck, check. We've seen a lot of it before with Phèdre, so I'm not sure what's different about this, except that perhaps Imriel's reactions are usually more conventional than hers. He doesn't end up sleeping with people for insane reasons, mostly.

      I did like a lot of the characters in this book. I expected to find Dorelei annoying, and then fell in love with and wanted to thwap Imriel for being self-absorbed. Some of the scenes when she's pregnant are incredibly sweet. I also enjoyed Berlik's character-arc, with his regret and his way to repent. Sidonie isn't so compelling a character -- she's rather like Ysandre, so she doesn't feel like a terribly new character. I was glad about what happened with Maslin -- that he and Imriel became close. It was an interesting end, for them.

      Overall, though, I didn't enjoy this book as much and got bogged down with it for a long time. I still think it was enjoyable, and a worthwhile part of the series, but it felt a little weak. I hope the third book picks up again.
    • 3/5
      Very slow start... for the first 200 pages or so, Imriel spends his time moping over his forbidden love and looking for distractions in the Night Court. Once he leaves Terre d'Ange to start a new life, the story picks up and provides Carey's signature mix of heartbreak and adventure. Slightly overwrought (as is her style!) but ultimately satisfying.
    • 5/5
      Of the six books, definitely my second favorite.
    • 4/5
      These books should be disastrous, with the overwrought prose, fabulously beautiful characters and a fantasy of ancient Europe full of adventures and gods and a philosophy of free love. Somehow it works and the stories are really fun.
    • 5/5
      Note: While this is Book 5 in Kushiel’s Legacy (also referred to as the Terre D’Ange Cycle) it is Book 2 in the second trilogy and focuses on Imriel de la Courcel, who we met in Book 3, Kushiel’s Avatar. Kushiel’s Justice can work as a stand alone, though there are plenty of characters and situations referred to from the previous book.Imriel de la Courcel, a Prince of the Blood and adopted son to Phedre no Delaunay de Montreve, has returned to Terre D’Ange from his time in Caerdicca Unitas where he was attending university. He grew up quite a bit in the previous book and those around him think he may be ready for more responsibility. Unexpectedly, passion erupts between him and the heir to the Terre D’Ange throne, Sidonie de la Courcel. Not wanting to embroil the nation in the politics of their potential union, Imriel acquiesces to marrying a royal of the Alban family, Dorolei. Things go awry. Terribly, terribly awry and Imriel is propelled on a quest that takes him far afield of either nation.Out of the first six books, I often found this book to be the slowest paced. It’s still a worthy read, yet I found it to have the fewest action scenes and long periods of travel and/or contemplation. However, this time around I read it with an on-line group and new little gems were revealed to me. It’s a time of change for Imriel and also of challenges that will define what kind of man he becomes going forward. It took him quite a bit of time and agonizing to figure out who he wanted and yet, now he has to make the hard choice of serving his country or alienating half the kingdom. Elua’s precept, love as thou wilt, was set aside.Setting the gushy feelings aside for the moment, this installment to the series allows the reader to explore more of Alba and the Maghuin Dhon (the Bear Witches). Alais, Sidonie’s younger sister, travels with her father, the Cruarch of Alba, and Imriel, exploring the countryside as they make their slow progress to Dorolei’s home. The Alban nobles are not quick to adopt Imriel. They test him in several ways, including a cattle raid. But before long, tragedy strikes. My heart went out to Imri! I think he went a little insane with it for a short time, as to be expected.From here, Imriel has a quest to undertake in order to fulfill an oath. But it’s more than that. There’s honor and duty in the quest for sure, but there’s also the need for vengeance. Something important was taken from Imriel, and from others, and he can’t let that abide. His quest takes him further east than he has ever traveled, into lands that barely exist on D’Angeline maps. Throughout this lengthy travel, Imriel meets many characters and several have views on vengeance versus justice. Indeed, this becomes one of the main themes of the second half of the book.The sex scenes are just as compelling as the action scenes, and are more numerous. Carey doesn’t waste the reader’s time with flippant or empty romance scenes. While detailed, the sex scenes are beautifully written and always provide extra insight into the characters. After all, how we treat someone in private in intimate moments can be very revealing of our natures.This series continues to render a rich and vibrant world filled with many cultures. Carey does an amazing job of fleshing out characters, even minor ones, giving them their own motives. I never feel like words are wasted when reading Carey. I love that I don’t always agree with a character’s choices, but I almost always see where they are coming from. Carey also includes different religions, food, and daily practices. The landscape and weather shape the backbone of the story. Indeed, I feel immersed when reading this series. The journey was worth the reread.The Narration: Simon Vance’s skills are on great display with this book. His abilities with accents are surely put to the test with this tale! French, Gaelic, and Russian are just a few of the accents needed for the large cast of characters. There are also several moments of deep and complex emotions and Vance does a great job of showing these in his character voices.
    • 4/5
      Better than Kushiel's Scion, but still not as good as the first trilogy. Phèdre was just a more interesting protagonist than Imriel, and Joscelin more interesting than Sidonie (it also doesn't help that I can't stand the name Sidonie.) I really enjoyed the parts in Alba. Dorelai was way cooler than Sidonie, it's too bad she doesn't stick around.
    • 5/5
      Summary: Imriel, the son of Terre D'Ange's most famous traitor and third in line for the throne, has returned home after a year in Tiberium, determined to do his part to help his queen and country... and what Queen Ysandre requires of him is to wed an Alban princess, to help quell fears that the Albans are gaining an unfair influence in Terre D'Ange politics without an equivalent exchange. For Sidonie, Ysandre's eldest daughter and heir, is half Alban... and she is also the woman with whom Imriel has fallen madly in love. And madly it is, for Sidonie is perhaps the most dangerous woman in Terre D'Ange for Imriel, given that his mother's designs on the throne are far from forgotten. The two young lovers agree to put their passions second to their political duties, and Imriel travels to Alba to wed the princess Dorelei. But once he is there, he quickly gets caught up in a plot borne of ancient grudges and even older magic, and Terre D'Ange's gods have no power in that foreign land, especially over one who has already broken the precept of "Love as thou wilt."Review: Cue obligatory bit of incoherent fangirly caps-lock-y babbling: AAAAAAAAAHHHH JACQUELINE CAREY'S BOOKS ARE SO GOOD YOU GUYS! SO GOOD! I'm actually going to keep this review fairly short, because I've more or less said everything in my reviews of Carey's other books. The writing is gorgeous, the stories are epic and sweeping and never draggy, the worldbuilding is immersive and lovely, and the characterizations are incredible. I still love Imriel (although still not *quite* as much as Phèdre and Joscelin), and my heart still aches for him, as he tries and tries to be his own man, free from the shackles and scars of his past. All of that I have said before, and all of it is 100% still true in this book.On to some of the specific points of this book. As expected, my favorite parts of this book were when Imriel was in Terre D'Ange, surrounded by Phèdre and Joscelin and all of the other familiar characters. But to my surprise, I liked Imriel in Alba almost as much; Carey does a good job at both making this Celtic/Pictish-England-analog feel familiar but also adding in enough twists to keep it interesting. (Imriel doesn't spent the whole book in Alba, either, although I don't want to give away too many details. The new places he visited were also interesting, although I'm less familiar with their real-world history so I couldn't always tell what twists had been applied to Carey's interpretation.) But as much as geography matters in this book, it still falls secondary to the story and the characters, which were both great. Although I did miss familiar characters when they weren't around (P&J, of course, but also Eamonn to an extent that surprised me), I quickly came to love the new characters as well. Also pleasantly surprising was that there was no sense of middle-of-the-trilogy-itis in this book. Imriel gains a lot of maturity in this book, but it's not entirely (or even majorly?) character-driven; the plot and the characterization play off each other perfectly, and tell a whole, complete story. Plus, enough bits are set up that I can't wait to dive into the final book; threads from the first trilogy and from this trilogy are all going to come together, and it should be fantastic.I do, however, have two tiny quibbles about this book, both related to the characterization of Imriel's voice. First, I really wished that everyone, but especially Imriel, would have stopped referring to Sidonie as "your girl"/"my girl". She is 17 when this book starts, but even so, she is already a grown-ass woman, and it struck me as incongruous and jarring that Imriel wouldn't refer to her as such. The second dialogue tic that bothered me, on the other hand, wasn't a problem because it was out of character, but just because it struck my ear wrong. Namely: I found Imriel's and Sidonie's bedroom banter unfortunately un-sexy. Their interactions and flirting in public, fine, but alone together, not so much. But these books are so much more than just the sexytimes (although the sexytimes are fun too) that that really is just a minor quibble, and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. 4.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Yes! Read it! It's moderately well self-contained, but all of them are so good, and make this one so much richer, that you should really read them all.
    • 4/5
      Parts of this book were really good, parts were really hard to get through. The first 3 books in the series were amazing so I really do recommend the books. Not as much sex as she had put in the first books in the series but there was some. Over all a good book.
    • 4/5
      Re-read.

      Original review: Deeply satisfying fifth book in the Kushieline series. This is the second book from the viewpoint of Imriel, Melisande's son. I found the characters to be well-developed and the plot tight and exciting.
    • 4/5
      Another good addition to the series, although with a few part that felt a bit long.
    • 4/5
      Great, moving, terrifying at times. Imriel really comes to life. Although I really hoped to see/read about Skaldia. Some part of me is still sorry that Imriel didn't try to cross it. (But maybe that's because I always wanted to know what happened to Gunther's steading after [Kushiel's dart]). I really like the way Dorelei kicks Imriel's ass (verbally) and how they make a life together. Although it makes Dorelei a little to perfect. (never jealous while your husband, the man you love, is madly in love with another woman? really? come on). I'm looking forward to the last part in this saga.
    • 5/5
      I'd count the first trilogy of Carey's Kushiel books, narrated by Phedre, as among my favorite works in fantasy. (Starting with Kushiel's Dart, and if you haven't already, you should read those three novels first, and, of course, the first novel in this trilogy, Kushiel's Scion) Carey has a vivid, evocative, lush style and an engaging voice. I'm not as enthusiastic about the next trilogy centered on and narrated by Imriel--I didn't find them quite as moving. But they're still wonderful reads with that lush prose and a vivid and imaginative world, and of that second trilogy, I like this middle book best--which is why I rated it five stars--still among the best reads in the fantasy genre. It takes us into yet another land, Alba, this one reminiscent of Celtic Britain, and Imri's struggle to do right by his arranged marriage despite still loving Sidonie is poignantly rendered and the magic imaginative. I like how Imri matures in this novel and finally takes responsibility for his own destiny.
    • 4/5
       This part of the series was good, but not as good as the original
    • 4/5
      I have been a huge fan of Jacqueline Carey's ever since reading her debut novel Kushiel's Dart. Since then, I have been slowly making my way through the rest of the Kushiel's Legacy series and her other works such as Santa Olivia. Kushiel's Justice is the fifth book in the Kushiel sequence or the second book in the Imriel trilogy, depending on how you like to count things. The Kushiel books are fairly lengthy, but I definitely find them to be worth the time investment. While Kushiel's Dart will probably remain my favorite in the series for a variety of reasons, I was looking forward to reading Kushiel's Justice. As an added incentive, many of my friend have already finished the books and I needed to catch up. But, I really didn't find that to be too much of a burden.Prince Imriel de la Courcel is the son of two of Terre d'Ange's most infamous and despised traitors. Despite also being adopted into the household of the realm's greatest heroes, he is still viewed with hatred and suspicion by many of the D'Angeline peerage. Understandably, problems are sure to develop when Imriel falls in love with his cousin Sidone, the Queen's oldest daughter and heir to the throne. They attempt to keep the affair secret, but this also presents difficulties. To make circumstances even more delicate, Imriel has agreed to a marriage to further the goodwill and relationship between Terre d'Ange and Alba. Affairs of love and state collide, complicating matters of both. And when the only precept is "Love as thou wilt," Imriel is also accountable to the gods. He does his best to make the right choices, but even good decisions can be the wrong ones.Ever since his full introduction in Kushiel's Avatar, the last book in the first Kushiel's Legacy trilogy, I have always liked Imriel. But I get this odd feeling that Kushiel's Justice is about Imriel without actually being about Imriel; I was more interested in the secondary characters (I've developed a huge crush on his cousin Mavros) than I was in the prince himself. He often seemed to be in the background despite being the main protagonist, the narrator, and rather introverted. At least that was true for the first half or so of the book. Imriel did a lot of growing up in the previous volume, Kushiel's Scion, but he still had quite a bit more to do in Kushiel's Justice. He had already come to terms with many of the responsibilities that go along with being a prince of the blood, but he still remained self-absorbed and impetuous. His personality tends to be fairly passive, allowing many of the events and decisions that impact his life to simply happen. But when circumstances finally cause him to take control of his own destiny, he shows an impressive amount of determination. Once he has found the direction for his own life, his story has a much greater sense of purpose.Kushiel's Justice is for the most part slow and quiet, but generally a very lovely book. I always enjoyed reading it but never really felt compelled or in a rush to continue the story. The first part of the book felt particularly unhurried until Imriel develops some clear ambitions. At that point, the story begins to move at a quicker pace. Granted, the plot develops over several years, so it makes sense that Carey would take her time. Religion, which has always been an important element in the Kushiel books, plays a significant role Kushiel's Justeice--something that I appreciate. There are deaths, and they are hard, but they are also very meaningful. Imriel certainly has gone through difficult times, but he has managed to grow into a fine young man and has done the best that he can to do right by those he holds dear. Kushiel's Justice doesn't stand on it's own quite as well as it could have, it is the middle book in a trilogy after all, but it is still coherent without having to completely reiterate the books that have come before. Kushiel's Justice probably isn't the strongest book in the series, but ultimately I still found it to be satisfying and I still love Carey's writing. I look forward to finishing out Imriel's trilogy with Kushiel's Mercy.Experiments in Reading
    • 4/5
      I spent much of this book doing a mental eyeroll and saying 'Oh, /please/.'It's not that the writing is bad. Or that the characters don't remain interesting (although Imriel treads the line of 'insufferably smug' more closely than Phedre ever did). Or that the story is boring.It's that the fundamental premise - that Imriel, son of the most infamous traitor Terre d'Ange has ever know, and Sidonie, daughter to the queen and heir to the throne, are so /intensely/ in love that the gods themselves would punish them for turning their backs on that love for the sake of duty.I don't buy it. I don't buy it because we never see these two child exhibit anything more than lust or passion. It's not until well into this book - after hundreds of pages of plot revolving around their True Love - that you see anything that even resembles a spark of the emotion, when they discuss what draws them to each other. The groundwork was never laid, and the entire book suffers for it.It doesn't help that the sex cranks up significantly in this series - we know more about Imriel's sex life (and indeed, his masturbation fantasies) than we ever did about Phedre's! The sex we got in the previous series always seemed, to me, to add something about character or story. For the most part here, it's just sex, which is a disappointment.The travels in this book aren't as interesting, either. Imriel's self-doubts made for a compelling coming of age story, but are less interesting in the travel-adventure this book wants to become. It felt like we made a great many side trips to nowhere, in the long run.Ultimately, I feel like this middle child suffers from trying to be a love story instead of a political intrigue with love to color it. Carey is much better when her characters have bigger and brighter and larger concerns than romance, and when love is something that they can't escape anyway, something that gives them strength or is their weakness, but that is /not/ their be-all end-all.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in the trilogy that takes place in the same world as Phedre's trilogy, but this time from Imriel's point of view.In this book Imriel makes good on his promise to marry Dorelei and try to solidify a peace between their two realms. The story is epic in proportions and a lot happens to Imri in the course of this book.This book was again well-written and the story was thoughtfully progressed. I was a little disappointed at how little Sidonie was actually in the story. I constantly felt bad for Dorelei and I wearied of Imri's constant "trying".I did not find this book to be as engaging as the last one and kind of had to force myself to finish the end of it. There is just a lot here again. Either too much took place for one book or some of it didn't need to be there, I don't know which. I actually didn't think the book picked up pace until Imri returned home.I am not sure if the story is just lacking or maybe if I am just not as engaged with Imri as a lead character as I was with Phedre; but for some reason I have been finding this trilogy of books somewhat tedious and slow to get through.So in summary, beautiful writing, lovely story, but somehow I am finding it a bit tedious and lengthy to get through. I don't find myself quickly turning pages but instead looking ahead to find where the end of the chapter is so that I can stop reading. It's hard to say anything bad about this series because, in general, I love it so much. I'll read the next book and hope that it is faster paced than this one.
    • 4/5
      Continues in the excellent tradition of the series. Long book that keeps you captivated and has very few extra words. The story is just that big. Even less of Phedre than the last, and still compelling (though I miss her). As with all the books in this series, not for prudes, bible thumpers, or the young. Everyone else should enjoy it.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely beautifully done -- a step up from Scion, in my opinion. Carey has quite solidly found Imriel's voice, as he finds himself and faces heartbreak and almost insurmountable challenges. The themes here are, while less epic than the first trilogy, in some respects getting darker, and more philosophical in nature. Carey's alternate history is absolutely entrancing, every detail well-planned, a delicious blend of historical fact and her imagination -- I can't wait for the next volume!
    • 4/5
      ‘Justice’ begins with just the right amount of background to catch us up, without covering too much old ground. Imriel continues to engage with his depth and complexity. He‘s become more mature since ‘Scion‘, but still demonstrates he has much to learn and subsequently grows throughout this volume. If I was to be critical of one thing about ‘Justice‘, it's that occasionally this comes across as rambling fantasy travelogue; but this being one of the fantasy worlds I'd most wish to visit, touring any part of it is hardly a chore. The author may also sometimes seem overly fond of her characters, reluctant to let anything truly bad happen to them, but this only makes it all the more startling and wrenching when something does. Less politics and Phedre/Jocelin this time, more magic and Imriel taking fate into his own hands. We’re granted a satisfying resolution, but there’s more than enough still hanging in the air unresolved to keep me looking forward to ‘Mercy’. As long as she keeps writing these, I’ll keep reading them.
    • 5/5
      Excellent. Took me a little while to get into (I put it down for a year, actually), but once I got into it, the story grabbed my attention. Carey does a great job of making the characters come to life. This particular story has both love and terrible loss. I can't wait to read the next one.
    • 5/5
      Kushiel's Legacy as a series has sucked me in like no other series, and this one lived up to my expectations overall. I'm not attached to Imriel as I was to Phedre as the main character, and there wasn't as much tension in the first portion of this book as I'm used to with Carey's writing, but by mid-way through the novel it was living up to all of it's earlier counterparts. The writing is as beautiful and artful as ever, the characters given as much depth and reality as I've become used to from Carey (well, outside of her Other series, which isn't worth much). Kushiel's Legacy, though, I would recommend to anyone, with the suggestion that you'll enjoy them more if you take them in order. If you've read the earlier ones and have been letting this one slide, have no fear that it will live up to your expectations by the end. And, as many doubts as I had in the very beginning of the last book, Imriel has grown on me as Carey's newest focus. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book very much, but in many ways it suffered from middle-of-the-trilogy syndrome. There was plot and character development, but it just didn't seem very significant to the overall. Imriel doesn't really solve any of his crises other than defining his relationship with Sidonie, and that's the biggest problem with this book.The plot is enjoyable. The characters that are introduced are even better than those from Kushiel's Scion. I missed the intruige that I enjoyed so much in the other books. Carey ties up some loose ends from the first trilogy, and we get to explore Alban culture along with some other lands that haven't been visited yet.Overall it was an enjoyable read, but it got a little tedious towards the end. I am very much looking forward to the next book, though.
    • 5/5
      Summary: Imriel's changes and hopes for a happy future and interrupted first by his promise to marry Dorelei, then by a prophecy he is not given the chance to change.The Take Away: Imriel finally admits that he is self-absorbed and ego-centric. It takes him a good portion of te book, yet it gives me hope for the next one that he can finally find the happiness that keeps eluding him.Even though I look back and think that passages (many in fact) could have been cut, I don't think it while I'm reading. In fact, I hardly notice how far or what is left. For books that regularly top 700 pages, it's quite an accomplishment.I'm wondering how the series continues or if Imriel's is the last of Kushiel's descendants that are followed, unless the next trilogy (there is one, right?) jumps ahead several years, there is no other descendants to follow.Mostly speculation, I know, but it's challenging to write a review of the fifth title in the series.
    • 3/5
      I just finished reading this novel, and first, let me to say that I'm convinced that Carey cannot write a bad book. Her characters always live and breathe with the flaws of their humanity and their own personal virtues, and the events flow and build on each other. This novel was no exception. Imriel continues his self-journey, learning most of all about what it means to follow Elua's precept of love, and it's done with that touch of epic adventure and that knack of lovely words that Carey commands so wonderfully.That said, this book is a step below the Phedre novels, and also below Kushiel's Scion, the first Imriel novel. In general, I wish there was less pining, doting, and bodice ripping and more of... I don't know. I really can't put my finger on what made me feel slightly sour towards the novel towards the end, but I think it had a lot to do with finding the relationship between Imriel and Sidione tiresome. There was also an event towards the middle that I saw coming, and I didn't like the purpose it was destined to serve in the building of their relationship.Other than that, another good novel by Carey, even if it is so far my least favorite of the series.
    • 4/5
      *THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE.*I always look forward to a trip to Terre d'Ange. This is the 2nd book of the 2nd trilogy and it definitely has the "getting from here to there" vibe of second books everywhere. Still, it's an enjoyable read, with some real suspense and delicious sex scenes.I really like the faux-Ireland complete with fey. There were bits that felt uncomfortably like they might be about mood stablilizing drugs; that was strange. I really liked the way Carey handled the ultimate climax, giving respectful understanding to all the characters.I was less enthusiastic about the book's length. It could easily have been about 300 pages shorter. There's lots of rehash, and when it's early in the book to remind you of earlier parts of the story, I'm ok with it, but when it's rehash of something from 50 pages back, I'm less forgiving. The last 100 pages could have been almost completely cut; it's just not necessary to return to every. single. stop. along. the way. to say "see I accomplished my quest" to random characters that aren't very important. And, again, no Melisande. Easily the best character Carey has created, and she has been largely absent for 4 books now. I'm wondering if it could be possible for Melisande's return to the page to live up to the anticipation that has been built up. But that's for next summer. For now, have fun in Alba!