Having obtained her freedom by earning her marque, Phedre no Delaunay is free to follow a life of her choosing. That life is one of service to her queen, Ysandre, as she knows that there are many who would like to see the young monarch stripped of her authority and maybe dead. Phedre dedicates herself, and her unique skills, to protecting the Queen and discovering the identity of those who would betray her.

But Phedre is not alone in her quest. She is accompanied by Joscelin Verreuil a Casseline Brother who has vowed to protect Phedre regardless of his true opinion of her vocation. Sometimes Phedre's "profession" puts his loyalty to the test but his honour means he will stay beside Phedre regardless.

When it becomes apparent that there is a conspiracy to remove Ysandre from the throne is it clear that Phedre could be the only person equipped to discover the true identity of the conspirators. But to do this she will have to put herself at great risk.

Kushiel's Chosen is the second book of a series by Jacqueline Carey and follows the ongoing experiences of Phedre no Delaunay, a trained courtesan, who gets sexual pleasure from physical pain. The very nature of the main character means that this is a very adult book and it makes no pretence of denying this. I think this is one of the things I love about this whole series. It is so refreshing to read a series of stories that are unashamedly aimed at a grown-up audience.

One thing that is clear is that this series will be best enjoyed by a female audience. The intimacy and subtle eroticism should appeal to the majority of female readers (especially those, like me, who do not normally read anything approaching romance!). However, if you are easily offended or dislike fairly descriptive sexual scenes then this is not a series for you. I am particularly impressed by the way the author portrays the conflict that Joscelin experiences when trying to accept the role that Phedre has taken.

Having come across the first book purely by chance (when stuck in Chicago airport for 4 hours with nothing to read) I now cannot wait to read the next story in the series – but I do find myself saving them for special occasions!

There are certain books that stay with you long after you first read them. The Kushiel series is one of those. Unique, original and totally compelling. First rate!!!