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A sexual fantasy (no, not that kind)

> ‘Kushiel’s Dart’ book review

Caroline Ho Arts Editor

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JACQUELINE

“A VERY SOMISTICATD FANTASY, INTRECATELY PLOTTED AND A FASCINATING READ,” —Rousr joes

Image via amazon.ca

pac: prophecies, and prostitution—Kushiel’s Dart is a seductive and satisfying mix of it all.

The first book in Jacqueline Carey’s six-volume Kushiel’s Legacy series, Kushiel’s Dart, published in 2001, is a high fantasy novel set in the land of Terre d’Ange, a country with the motto “Love as thou wilt.” Phédre no Delaunay grows up in the Night Court—the world of courtesans openly and unashamedly patronized by the nobility and the wealthy. A bonded servant, she is bought and raised by the secretive lord, poet, and spymaster Anafiel Delaunay. Phéedre is an anguissette: She is cursed, or blessed, by the angel Kushiel to experience pain and sexual pleasure as the same sensation. This makes her highly sought after by some of the most important and powerful figures in Terre d’Ange, and she is able to uncover political secrets and treasonous plots that are only shared in bed.

Despite the protagonist being a highly-skilled courtesan and a masochist, this book did not come across as foo sexual, and it is far more a high- politicking fantasy novel than a book just about sex. The sex scenes, though numerous, were surprisingly well- written: They were just explicit enough

without being described too literally, but they also weren't painfully flowery and metaphorical. Obviously a reader who finds sex scenes uncomfortable might not want to try picking this book up, but for someone who doesn’t mind a little BDSM—even if youre not particularly fond of it—it’s not unpalatable.

That being said, this book reads a lot more like a political intrigue than a piece of smut, and Phédre is a spy as much as a prostitute. The countries of this world directly parallel medieval Europe— Terre d’Ange occupies roughly the area of France—and although place names and some aspects of the religion are somewhat different, it’s similar enough to feel familiar quite early in the book. The politics, alliances, diplomatic relations, and motivations of characters are hard to follow, but in a good way. Relatively low amounts of fantasy are present; the plot features fortune-telling and the presence of gods, but for the most part the story is driven by very human forces.

The characters are generally quite believable, and believably flawed. My one complaint is that almost everyone is described as beautiful. It makes sense in the context of the story, because the people of Terre d’Ange are literally

Alien sex and fake news

> The original ‘Mass Effect’ controversy is all too familiar

Greg Waldock Staff Writer

en years ago, the original Mass Effect was released to astounding critical acclaim. The depth of the world, the realism of the characters, and the retro-futuristic synth soundtrack became hallmarks of a franchise that changed how RPGs were made.

The game wasn't without its controversy, however. It did something that few games have done before, and even fewer with such finesse and tastefulness: sex. It was in small doses, a side-piece to a vast and sweeping game. The sex scenes were brief and optional with a small number of characters and relationships, but it was more than enough to become one of the largest gaming controversies of the 2000s.

In late 2007, a blog post by neoconservative blogger Kevin McCullough claimed that the sex scene between the protagonist and Liara, a companion character, was completely customizable with full rape being “just the push of a button away.” The post gained traction with both conservative websites and gaming websites, who generated enough outrage for the article to become popular. It was picked up by Fox News, which ran a segment on air discussing the sexual aspects of the game.

One of the most notorious outcomes of this segment was a Fox News presenter referring to the Xbox as a “Sexbox,” as well as a psychologist brought on to discuss the game claiming that it featured a full-on hardcore and controllable sex scene, despite that psychologist having never played the game.

The following controversy was loud enough for the psychologist to retract her statements, and for Fox News to drop the issue altogether. Even infamous anti- gaming advocate Jack Thompson declared the whole affair a non-story. Despite this, Mass Effect became associated

with egregious and over-the-top sex acts spanning genders and species. This pattern can seem all too familiar given the nonsense that was journalism in 2016, particularly around games. It’s the pattern of a non-story rapidly spinning out of control and becoming the main association the general public has with a game. This was before the fact that Mass Effect features a potential homosexual relationship became common knowledge and expanded upon in the second and third games.

It’s a real shame that this controversy existed and grew in the way that it did.

descended from angels, but still, it gets a little tiring to read, again and again, that a character is physically attractive simply by virtue of being d’Angeline. It isn’t completely intolerable, but it is a little eye-roll-inducing.

One particularly refreshing thing about this novel is its take on sexuality—women sleep with women, men sleep with men, people fall in love indiscriminately, and it is accepted as entirely normal. There are no terms or connotations about any kinds of sexual orientation. A lot of fantasy novels take place in heteronormative worlds where other preferences are, if not taboo, then at least associated with some negativity, but in Carey’s Terre d’Ange there seems to be no social stigma around sexuality and love.

Overall, I found it a fairly enjoyable read. I would not have expected to be so compelled by a novel starring a masochist prostitute, but between the well-crafted prose, the intricate politics, and the believable mythology, it was surprisingly sympathetic. ] haven’t yet read the rest of the series, but I certainly plan to pick them up, because the first novel has a lot of promise.

Image via ravepad.com

Very few video games approach sex at all, let alone with the respectfulness and emotional significance that Mass Effect did throughout the franchise. The portrayal of sex in video games has always been either nonexistent or hilariously self-indulgent, and when

a game finally broke that mold, it was attacked by people who had never played it. In spite of the loud and obnoxious think-pieces against it, the Mass Effect series continues to portray sex as a normal, healthy thing that different people have different approaches to.