Buy It Now: On Amazon.com
Description: Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn; the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now, only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts – the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow.
Moirin has a secret, too. From childhood onward, she senses the presence of unfamiliar gods in her life; the bright lady, and the man with a seedling cupped in his palm. Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, it isn’t until she comes of age that Moirin learns how illustrious, if mixed, her heritage is. The great granddaughter of Alais the Wise, child of the Maghuin Donn, and a cousin of the Cruarch of Alba, Moirin learns her father was a D’Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire.
After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds divine acceptance…on the condition that she fulfill an unknown destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Beyond Terre d’Ange where she finds her father, in the far reaches of distant Ch’in, Moirin’s skills are a true gift when facing the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior princess desperate to save her father’s throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon. (from Hatchett Book Group)
The Fangirl’s Review: A+
I think this just might be the best book I’ve read this year. Unless some miracle occurs and the gods of books smile upon me thrice in one year, Naamah’s Kiss is going to top my best of 2009 list.
A few years back, I read the first two of Carey’s series set in Terre d’Ange, but I got sidetracked and never caught up. Lucky for me (and for anyone who’s either behind in the series or hasn’t read them at all), this book is set in the same universe but takes place a few generations after the events of the first six books. The events of those books are on their way to passing into legend when Naamah’s Kiss begins.
I’d forgotten just how gorgeous Carey’s writing is. She thrusts the reader into Moirin’s point of view, allowing us to grow up with her and get inside of her head. I was immediately sucked into both the story and Moirin as a character. She is torn between the two sides of her heritage, between her desire to stay in Alba and live a reclusive life in the wilderness and the spark of her diadh-anam, her spirit, leading her across the sea and away from her home.
The book is a wonderful adventure story that follows Moirin from her homeland of Alba to the City of Elua to far Ch’in, and Carey describes each place so vividly that I got completely sucked in. I read most of this book in the car while riding from home in north Texas to New Mexico, and there were several times when someone would talk to me and have to repeat themselves at least twice to get my attention. Carey’s writing is rich and decadent, from her descriptions of places and clothing to the lush love scenes. I loved the cast of characters and found myself getting teary-eyed several times when… things happened. No spoilers, I promise. :)
Even if you haven’t read any of Carey’s other novels, I highly recommend this one. It’s an opulent, magnificent fantasy filled with fascinating characters and an engrossing adventure.
- didn't like it
A+! Awright. The first book is on my yearly re-read shelf, but I lost track of Kushiel when Imri took over. I’m caught up now, and I’ve been looking forward to this one.
Yes, yes, YES! I absolutely agree, Naamah’s Kiss is hands down the best book I’ve read this year too. Jacqueline Carey is ridiculously talented.
And did I read that correctly – you have not yet read book 3 in Phedre’s trilogy (Kushiel’s Avatar)? Oh dude. READ IT. It is my favorite book of all Carey’s Kushiel books (including the Imriel trilogy and this new start to Moirin’s trilogy). It’s very dark, heartbreaking, but the perfect ending to Phedre’s story.
And question: Have you read Juliet Marillier yet? If you like Carey’s writing style, you’ll also be partial to Marillier :p
I’ve GOT to reread the first two books and catch up on the series. Carey’s writing is so good, and I’m ashamed of myself that I didn’t keep up with it.
Thea, I haven’t read any Juliet Marillier, but several people have recommended it to me. She has a ton of fans on my Paranormal Romance group on Goodreads. I’ll have to hunt for her books the next time I’m at a bookstore. Which would you recommend to read first?
Definitely catch up on the Kushiel’s Legacy series when you get a chance. There’s something so beautiful about Jacqueline Carey’s writing, I completely agree! The books are long, but once you get started there’s no turning back :D
As for Marillier, start with Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters book 1). It’s a book of unparalleled beauty. I kid you not. And given your reading tastes, I’m certain you’ll like it! One of the greatest things about discovering a new author like Marillier is you have a lot of material for you to discover :) I just finished her YA books as well and…wow. Cannot wait to see what you think!!
Thea, I’m adding it to my wishlist now, and I’ll try to hunt it down at a used bookstore tomorrow. Thanks!
Similar to you Jessa, I got lost somewhere in the Imri trilogy, but given the high praise this has been getting, it is officially added to the pile. Thanks for the review.
Hm, I didn’t really care for the Kushiel series -actually, I’ve always found Carey’s writing beautiful but she always manages to kill the content for me, somehow- but since this looks mostly unrelated, I think I’ll give this one a shot.
Btw, Thea is right about Marillier. She’s fantastic. The Sevenwaters series is a good start. I thought the books got even better as they went on.
Wow, I’m late on this reply, OnlyTheBestSciFi/Fantasy! Sorry about that! A lot of things slipped through the cracks while I was on vacation. I found the Kushiel books to be very dense, and it was easy for me to get distracted and lost between new book releases (I read the first two as they were released). One of these days, I’ll pick them up again, but Naamah’s Kiss is definitely worth a read or two. Thanks for commenting!
Nu, it’s been so long since I read the Kushiel books that I hardly remember anything about them. I just slipped off the wagon by the time the third book came out and never picked it up. I really loved Naamah’s Kiss, though, and I have high hopes for this series. And I’m on the lookout for Marillier! I’ve got to wait until I get my fall student loan money to go book shopping again, darn it.