Having taken some time to think it over, I'm very much of two minds about Cassiel's Servant, Jacqueline Carey's retelling of Kushiel's Dart from Joscelin's perspective.

On the one hand, I'm a HUGE fan of Phèdre's story and was eager to have an excuse to revisit the realm of Terre d’Ange. It's a gorgeous world and an epic story, full of characters I've loved and loathed (sometimes at the same time) for two decades. Even though we start from a different place, exploring Joscelin's youth and training as a Cassiline warrior-priest, the world and the writing are wonderfully familiar. We're witnessing his youth for the first time, but doing so already knowing where his story ends, and that allows us to appreciate key moments and the meanings behind them.

Of course, that foreknowledge also allows us to anticipate the seeds of romance planted between Joscelin and Phèdre, and being inside his head reveals when and where his affections began. That's probably the most interesting (and significant) part of the book, knowing the truth behind what Phèdre could only infer from glances and mannerisms. Because of that, we get to experience his character growth and development at an earlier stage in the story, which softens many of his edges.

On the other hand, there's nothing new in terms of plot, no pivotal revelations to which we weren't privy the first time around. In many ways it's a weaker story because Joscelin is only a witness to so much of it, and his narrative lacks the urgency and self-awareness of Phèdre's. More importantly, through his voice it becomes a more traditional fantasy, sanitized and thinned out, without the groundbreaking eroticism of the original. It's interesting to experience the emotional pain behind his disdain for Phèdre's assignations as an anguissette, but it's her physical pain (and pleasure) that made the original book such a standout work of art.

Cassiel's Servant is an interesting experiment in narrative, and there's no question that reconnecting with Joscelin, Phèdre, and Hyacinthe is entertaining, but the whole book feels unnecessary (at best), and a awkward censorship of Kushiel's Dart (at worst). I'm sure that wasn't the intent, but given that I connected so deeply to Phèdre's erotic S&M experiences, it's hard not to feel a sense of loss or denial with such a retelling.

Carey retells the tale, Kushiel's Dart, that started it all from the perspective of Joscelin. The blurb says the original is "The lush epic fantasy that inspired a generation" and, indeed, I am part of that generation that was inspired. I have read Kushiel's Dart many times, most recently about a year ago. All of which is to say, I am in no way an unbiased reviewer.

I had very high expectations for Cassiel's Servant, and while I certainly wasn't disappointed, the book does run up against the limits of its form. It is best in the beginning, telling the parts of Joscelin's story that were previously unknown. I lost momentum after the first Skaldi interlude, both because I knew what happened next, and because I wasn't eager to revisit those scenes. It picked up again and I enjoyed the conclusion, but I do wonder if it might have been better served as a novella with only the new stuff.

I enjoyed getting Joscelin's backstory, and his relationship with Phedre from his POV. The thing is, other than that, not much is new here? I feel that this would have been better as maybe a short story that covers important moments. I may also have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been rereading Kushiel's Dart at the same time. But it really is mostly the same book.

All that said - I'm definitely not complaining. If you, like me, reread the Kushiel series regularly and ship Phedre and Joscelin with all your ridiculous fandom heart, this is worth the read. Joscelin reconciling his broken oaths and pondering Cassiel's relationship to Elua alone was worth it for me and I was very happy to get an ARC!

I've read Kushiel's Dart, the book that this parallels, probably half a dozen times. Joscelin has always seemed like he's got a bit of a stick up his ass (it's TRUE), and I was worried this was going to be essentially Midnight Sun with better sex.

Yall, it is not! The first 20% is just Joscelin's story, starting when the Cassilines arrive at his home to escort him to his training. Traditionally, noble families sent their middle sons to dedicate themselves to Cassiel, a tradition that's fallen out of favor over the years. Until now, Carey's Terre d'Ange books have focused on those dedicated to Naamah (pleasure) and Kushiel (punishment). Cassiel chose to follow Elua, abandoning the One God, knowing himself damned, but dedicated to Elua as the perfect companion. This is what Joscelin is prepared to do, dedicate himself to celibacy and to protect his charge, at the cost of his own life if necessary. While his fellow acolytes may not hew to the guidance of their training with as much dedication as Joscelin, he is respected for his prowess and his dedication, even as he's looked at somewhat askance for being a true believer.

And then, there's Phedre. Vivid, confident, proud, too smart for her own good, willing to pursue pleasure and pain beyond what others may think is wise or safe. Her life, born under Naamah and marked by Kushiel, is the opposite of everything Joscelin has revered, and now he's expected to not only guard her, but accompany her everywhere, to every assignation and ball, to inns and castles and parties, all of which offend his Cassiline sensibilities.

When Phedre and Joscelin are drugged and betrayed by one of her patrons, it's worse than could be imagined-- they're sold into enslavement to the tribes of the north, gathering under the warlord Waldemar Selig. Selig isn't just content to unite the tribes, he's been corresponding with people in Terre d'Ange, and he's bringing the power of his people to overrun and conquer Terre d'Ange. Joscelin and Phedre have to find ways to survive in this cold, foreign world, and then they have to find a way to warn their kingdom.

This book was fantastic. I wouldn't recommend it to readers who haven't read the original trilogy, but I absolutely will recommend it to people who enjoyed the original trilogy. Carey's sensuous, beautifully written worlds continue to draw me in, and I want more books about people who dedicate their lives beyond pleasure and pain.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)