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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
War violence; torture; assassinations throughout
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Very heavy
Extensively explicit sexual content including BDSM, submission, and detailed depictions of Phèdre's encounters
Substance Use
None
No significant substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Explores agency within submission, betrayal, and the nature of consent in a world where pleasure and pain intertwine
What this book is about
In a lush alternate-history France, Phèdre nó Delaunay is an anguissette — one born to experience pleasure from pain — and serves as both a courtesan and a spy in the service of her master Anafiel Delaunay. Jacqueline Carey's adult fantasy debut is an epic of intrigue, betrayal, and war wrapped around an explicitly sexual and BDSM-positive romance.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Extremely explicit BDSM sexual content throughout
Graphic violence including torture and war
A storyline involving enslavement
Reader Verification
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