inconceivably

I was almost scared to read this, because I was just sure it wouldn't be able to measure up to Kushiel's Dart. If I'd known how wrong I was, I wouldn't have waited two months to pick it up! I probably won't be able to wait even a week to start the third one.So often, books in a series have different vibes, and the feelings you get while reading them are so varied that its hard to consider them connected. Not so with these, Kushiel's Chosen was very much a continuation of the first, and I can't really give it any higher praise. I picked up where I left off, feeling the exact same way about all the characters and immediately picked up my deep emotional connections to most of them.Carey has such an awesome way of writing things. You spend the first 300 pages (give or take) knowing something awful is coming, and to some degree I'm sure everyone tries to figure out what that might be...but then all of a sudden it hits out of nowhere and spins the story out of control straight to the end. It is CRAZY. I loved that about Dart, and loved it in this one also.Its also a great mark of her writing abilities that she can display such a wide emotional range in these characters. Seduction and sex are these peoples' occupations as homage to their gods, and as such the acts are displayed as duty, not pleasure. But, when the emotions are real, such beauty and love shine through.I can't recommend this series enough to the people willing to take a risk on such an original and fascinating storyline.