Epic fantasy · Romance
Kushiel's Dart
In an alternate Renaissance Europe, a girl sold into service is trained as a courtesan-spy, marked from birth with a mark that ties her to a painful kind of pleasure. She uncovers a plot that threatens her country and has to travel far to stop it.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 2001
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 704
- Format
- Book 1 of 3 in Kushiel's Legacy: Phedre Trilogy
Read this if you want a very long, lush, political fantasy with sensual detail and a narrator with a distinctive voice.
Skip this if you are uncomfortable with explicit sexual content, including BDSM, or with sexual coercion and torture on the page.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about Kushiel's Dart
- What is Kushiel's Dart about?
- In an alternate Renaissance Europe, a girl sold into service is trained as a courtesan-spy, marked from birth with a mark that ties her to a painful kind of pleasure. She uncovers a plot that threatens her country and has to travel far to stop it.
- Who should read Kushiel's Dart?
- Read it if you want a very long, lush, political fantasy with sensual detail and a narrator with a distinctive voice. Skip it if you are uncomfortable with explicit sexual content, including BDSM, or with sexual coercion and torture on the page.
- How long and how fast is Kushiel's Dart?
- It is a slow-paced, long read of about 704 pages, first published in 2001.
- Does Kushiel's Dart have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Sexual content, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Sexual assault.
- Can I borrow Kushiel's Dart for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends Kushiel's Dart; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after Kushiel's Dart?
- Readers who liked it often move on to Tigana, A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Priory of the Orange Tree.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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Because you might love it
If you loved Kushiel's Dart
-
Tigana
Another richly written, politically minded epic that is more sorrowful and has an Italianate setting.
-
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A more mainstream, quicker romantasy that shares the heat and court intrigue.
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The Priory of the Orange Tree Another vast, standalone epic with court politics, queer love and a large cast.
Epic fantasy
