Naamah's Kiss

I love this series. The characters are well written and the story is page turning. So much more depth and substance than 50 shades or any other like book. I am amazed also that in this series of books that are so well written you can close your eyes and feel like you are a fly on the wall. Now this is a sexually explicit book that has so much more to the story than sex, even if the sexuality is a big part of the book. It is about a different culture, kingdoms and how they grow with intrigue and everything that goes with kingdoms in other historical fiction books. For those that may be offended by the explicit rendering of the sexual aspect of one country, I would say have an open mind because the story is so well done and weaves a magical web of sacrifice and duty. I especially enjoyed the parts where God was shown to bless those who sacrifice for others. As in the sea parts- not going to divulge spoilers and this is about the entire series not just the first book. I have all the hardbacks and now the kindle editions as well.

Most of the reviews on this seem to be 4- and 5-star, but I can't bring myself to give more than 3. However, even Carey's mediocre Terre d'Ange books are better than a lot of fantasy I've read, so I still recommend it if you love the world.I do love that this book shows us what it's like to be touched by Naamah, and I was also excited to get a closer look at the Maghuin Dhonn (though we did not see as much of that as I might have hoped). Still, we see Naamah take a more active role, which of course leads to lots of lovely sex, so I can't be too terribly disappointed. Plus, reiki was officially made canon, which I really adored when I was roleplaying in the milieu.What is it that keeps me from enjoying this more, then? Moirin just doesn't have the presence of both Phèdre and Imriel. She has some cool magic, but I'm not really sure she's a main character-level heroine. It was nice to hear how the main characters of the other trilogies ended up after 'retirement', so to speak, but it seemed silly that almost all of the stories she heard came from Phèdre's day. Seeing Ch'in was exciting, but it wasn't as wonderfully developed as Terre d'Ange or Alba.I don't know what it is. It's a good book, but not a fabulous one. I'll always revel in more of Carey's Terre d'Ange worlds, but this just wasn't as strong as the first two trilogies.

Ok, so this book has had a lot of controversy and as an avid reader and fan of the series I'd like to share my experience. For myself, I fell so hard in love with Phedre and her surrounding characters that my first blow was to pick up this book and realize that it's generations away from the world I had fallen for and wanted to be part of. From there I judged Moirin, got bored with the book and put it down disappointed. The time came and I read Kushiel's Legacy series for the second time and enjoyed them even more--I am once again enamored and now I also have a little more life experience to bring to the table. I picked up this book to try again. It was magical. It was magical because I let Moirin be who she is and I found myself in her also. From there I charged through the Naamah's books and couldn't put them down. Magical, mystical, beautiful. Thank you, Jacqueline Carey, for tempering my adventures with your own!

Okay, I'll admit: when I first read this book, I did so through rose-colored glasses with a hint of rebellion to boot. After reading the reviews here, I didn't want to believe that Jacqueline Carey was capable of writing a bad Terre D'Ange novel.When I finished Naamah's Kiss, my initial reaction was, "That wasn't so bad"--truth be told, it wasn't. Naamah's Kiss is not a bad book, but now that I've let it sit for a month or so, it becomes increasingly obvious that it pales in comparison to its predecessors, who have set such a high mark that it's hard enough to consistently match it, let alone surpass it.I applaud Carey for jumping one century ahead and letting the Kushiel cast fade gracefully into myth and legend. Too many authors cling onto popular characters but end up warping them into unlikable ghosts of their original selves instead of just moving on. All told, Moirin's backstory is, at first, a refreshing change of pace as she originates far away from the courtly intrigues of Terre D'Ange--but quickly falls into them, and perhaps in a more convoluted and displeasing fashion than either Phedre or Imriel did. That is, before she's jetted off to Ch'in, which, despite being a thriving empire, seems to consist only of four major characters, Moirin included.Moirin is not a terrible character, nor is her story unreadable. What Naamah's Kiss lacks is the epic scale of the Kushiel series (moreso Phedre's trilogy), both in environment and cast. Phedre and Imriel were heroes on their own, but it was clear that many other characters and events shaped the outcome of the story. With Naamah's Kiss, everything seems to revolve around Moirin, which can get tiring.Besides scale, another factor that sets Naamah's Kiss apart from Kushiel's is the reliance on magic, perhaps too much so. I felt that Carey really wanted to make this story about Moirin's interpersonal relationships with people so different from herself, but had to include some larger than life plotlines for the sake of having them--plotlines she didn't really want to deal with. Any sense of urgency outside of the bedroom was quickly quelled with a magical fix. Don't get me wrong: I don't mind magic in books, but I don't like it the magic trivializes major conflicts, which is essentially what happens in Naamah's Kiss more often than not.All in all, did I like the book? Yes. There were some very touching and poignant moments that felt unreal. Did I like it more than the Kushiel series? Definitely not. Carey's prose is as beautiful as ever in Naamah's Kiss, but the overall execution of this book was not up to snuff. It feels like there were some conflicting interests on the direction of the book: a coming of age story, or an epic adventure? I think Carey is fully capable of accomplishing both with aplomb, but for whatever reason, wasn't able to do so with Naamah's Kiss.

Didn't know what to expect as I was looking for something similar to Anne Bishop's books. The way this world was built was done delicately yet purposeful. The character grows with strong sub characters. Strong female main character. You understand some things, not so others. But like any good stories, you learn, you assess, you enjoy. I did all that with this book 1. Now I'm seeking out book 2!

Another excellent read in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel Series. This trilogy featuring Moirin as the main character is a little different. More 'Xen', more magic, less politics and intrigue, but still very enjoyable. In fact I enjoyed this trilogy as much as the 'main' d'Angeline series even though it had a slightly different feel. I was sad when the total series came to an end.

This story is set in a world that is almost ours- it could be a parallel universe or it could be ours if slightly different choices had been made in our prehistory, either way it's clever and well told combining elements of a wide range of myths and legends into a pleasing cohesive whole.

Love Carey’s work! This series follows on from her Kushiro series and it is amazing. These books will be read and read over and over. Perfect if your looking for an adventure read.

I cannot say enough good things about this book, or the trilogy to which it belongs. The books of the Kushiel's Legacy series (9 books in total) are without compare my most cherished possessions, and they have been read (and listened to in audiobook format) more times than I can count.