Look, I'll be honest - I went into this one expecting to be disappointed. The comparison to Dune gets thrown around a lot, and that's usually a red flag. Books that get compared to Dune rarely deserve it. Kushiel's Dart? It actually earns the comparison. Not because it's similar in plot or setting, but because Jacqueline Carey built something with the same architectural ambition. A world that feels lived-in, with politics that actually make sense, and a protagonist who's genuinely unlike anyone else in fantasy.
Phèdre nó Delaunay is - and I say this with complete admiration - a mess. A brilliant, complicated, deliberately melodramatic mess. She's a spy and a courtesan who experiences pain as pleasure, and Carey never once flinches from what that means. This isn't sanitized fantasy romance. This is adult fantasy that respects its audience enough to go dark.
Anne Flosnik Gets It
Here's the thing about narrating Phèdre: you have to commit to the drama. This character is not subtle. She's a trained observer with a flair for the theatrical, and if your narrator plays it safe, the whole thing falls apart. Anne Flosnik does not play it safe.
Her voice has this rich, English-toned quality that matches the decadent world Carey created. And yes - some people find her raspy delivery grating. I've seen the reviews. I get it. But for me, that raspiness added texture. It felt like someone telling you secrets in a dimly lit room. The 100+ characters she voices? Each one distinct. The accents - French, Gaelic, various regional dialects - she holds them steady throughout thirty-one hours. That's not easy. That's craft.
Now, the French mispronunciations. Yeah. They're there. If you speak French, you'll notice. I noticed. Did it pull me out occasionally? A little. But honestly, the overall performance is so strong that I'm willing to forgive a few mangled vowels. (My podcast listeners are going to argue with me about this. I can already hear the emails.)
The Slow Burn That Paid Off
This is a thirty-one hour audiobook. Thirty-one. Hours. I listened to most of it during my overnight shifts at the library, which - honestly, perfect atmosphere. Empty stacks, dim emergency lighting, a story about courtly intrigue and political assassination playing in my ears.
The pacing is slow. I won't pretend otherwise. Carey takes her time building this world, establishing relationships, layering in political machinations that don't pay off for hours. If you need constant action, you're going to struggle. But if you're the kind of listener who likes to sink into a world and stay there? This is your book.
The back half - when everything Carey has been setting up starts clicking into place - is genuinely thrilling. Betrayals that actually hurt because you've spent fifteen hours with these characters. Action sequences that feel earned. And Phèdre's journey to the edge of despair? Flosnik nails the emotional delivery. I was walking home at 6 AM with my headphones in, completely wrecked.
Who This Is (and Isn't) For
Let's be real for a second. This book contains explicit BDSM content, violence, abuse, and some genuinely dark moments. If any of that is a hard no for you, this isn't your book. Carey doesn't include these elements for shock value - they're integral to who Phèdre is and how she navigates her world - but they're unflinching.
Also, if Flosnik's voice doesn't work for you in the sample, it's not going to magically start working at hour fifteen. Listen to a few minutes first. The raspy quality is consistent throughout.
And if you're someone who needs fast pacing? If thirty-one hours of slow-burn political fantasy sounds exhausting rather than immersive? Read the book instead. Or don't. But this audiobook format rewards patience.
Waking Up Shirley at 2 AM
I finished this at 2 AM on a Tuesday. Shirley (my cat) was deeply unimpressed that I woke her up to process my feelings about a fictional assassin. But that's where I was. Completely absorbed in a world I didn't want to leave.
Finally, fantasy that respects the genre. Adult themes handled with actual maturity. Emperor's Soul has that same respect for its audience—different world, same refusal to talk down to readers. A narrator who understands that sometimes the drama is the point. I'm already dreading the wait before I can start book two.
For the right listener - someone who wants layered worldbuilding, morally complex characters, and a story that doesn't shy away from darkness - this is essential. For everyone else, sample first and trust your gut.
