Kushiel's Marcy by Jacqueline Carey

Synopsis:
Having learned a lesson about thwarting the will of the gods, Imriel and Sidonie publicly confess their affair, only to see the country boil over in turmoil. Younger generations, infatuated by their heart-twisting, star-crossed romance, defend the couple. Many others cannot forget the betrayals of Imriel's Mother, Melisande, who plunged their country into a bloody war that cost the lives of their fathers, brothers, and sons.

To quell the unrest, Ysandre, the queen, sets her decree. She will not divide the lovers, yet neither will she acknowledge them. If they marry, Sidone will be disinherited, losing her claim on the throne.

There's only one way they can truly be together. Imriel must perform an act of faith: search the world for his infamous mother and bring her back to Terre d'Ange to be executed for treason.

My Rating: 10/10

My Thoughts:
After the first two Imriel books being only okay, this book is finally back up to the amazing level set by Kusheil's Dart. And it frustrates me how little I can talk about it in a review because I don't want to give anything away.

Imriel finally shines within this book, having come to terms with the horrors he faced as a child, and also with the guilt and sorrow he faced in the first two books of the series. He has grown into a strong character who knows his place in the world and is willing to fight for what he wants and what he believes in. And boy does he have a battle to win in this story.

I really didn't like Sidonie in the first two books. She was cold and distant with no real spunk and I never really understood what Imriel saw in her. But finally in this book we get to know her much better and I see something in her that is worth Imriel loving and risking everything for. By the end I really, really liked her.

As for the plot, I can't go into much detail without getting spoiler-y but I LOVED IT. It was fantastic beyond my imagining. Imriel starts off with a plan, and you totally think the plot is going one direction, but then the whole thing goes to crap when a major event occurs and CHANGES EVERYTHING. The scale and scope of the treachery amaze me and, yes, Melisande makes an appearance, and she is still awesome, and in control, and is still probably my favorite villain of all time.

Overall, it is well worth making it though the first two books in the series so you can bask in the awesomeness of this amazing plot and see the mediocre characters become pretty bad-ass.