It's Just Abbey

I was riding in a car with my best friend a while back and she was going on and on about this wonderful series about a girl who saves the world by having sex. And, uh, something about angels… and sex again. I’m not going to lie, I phased out a little because she was making absolutely no sense. I’m pretty sure she was speaking English but with this particular friend you can never be sure. About a year later I finally buckled and read these so-called “amazing” books just to see what all the fuss was about.

I will never doubt her again.

The series she was babbling about was the Kushiel Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey. They are epic books chronicling the lives of two heroes, Phedre and Imriel, in a strange fictional land of Terre d’Ange. All six books were fabulous and I will recommend them to anyone who thinks that Lord of the Rings needed a little more sex and intrigue. They are journeys over strange yet oddly familiar lands and Carey unfolds a fictional world that anyone who reads her books would kill to live in.

Her seventh book in this world is Naamah’s Kiss. Set several generations after the sixth book, Kushiel’s Mercy, ended. It follows a young girl named Moirin who grows up in Alba. She is the child of two worlds struggling to find her place. She is then asked by her god to prove her worth and bring pride to her people. This is a daunting task for anyone, if you ask me. Asking it of a young girl sets up a book for youthful follies and lessons in life. Not a far cry for Carey’s normal stomping ground. I was excited!

I will attempt to give no spoilers but say that this book really disappointed me. I had my hopes set very high for a book that was full of new stories, facts and rules. But instead I had to relive the same stories more than once. Although she couldn’t escape the very past she created, she delivered a slightly new character. In Carey’s previous works, her characters (even as youngsters) were smart, thoughtful and strong. But Moirin was… How do I put this lightly? Moirin was vanilla. That’s it, vanilla.

I was expecting so much more. I was expecting yet another headstrong and independent character who finds her destiny by simply living her life. Instead I got a young woman, seemingly uncomfortable in her own skin and led around by a spirit in her soul. She makes no real decision through the book other than to actually find her destiny. Ever other plan she has is brought to her or she is pushed into. It’s rather annoying really. Most of the time she just whines that she wants to do something else but her silly destiny keeps getting in the way.

The book is bland compared to Carey’s first six books but it is a good stepping stone. She found a story somewhere in the last few chapters and sparked my interest again. She ignited the spark just enough for me to be furious at where she left off and I was craving more.

In all of my complaining I will say that I am eager to see what Carey does with Naamah’s Curse. She is a wonderful writer and I will not let one so-so book sully the world she created. I really hope that Moirin comes into her own and isn’t just a shadow of a previously wonderful character. She truly can be amazing, if she ever finds her own footing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cupcakes