Kushiel's Scion — Jacqueline Carey

It is whispered that Kushiel's lineage carries the ability to perceive the flaws in mortal souls, to administer an untender mercy. I sense its presence like a shadow on my soul...the memories of blood and branding and horror, and the legacy of cruelty that runs in my veins. I whisper to myself, over and over...

I will try to be good.

Imriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, while his adoptive parents, Phedre and Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions. Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in beauty, art, and desire. It is a court steeped in deeply laid conspiracies, and there are many who would see the young prince dead--out of fear that he has inherited his birth mother's dangerous gifts and craving for power. As he comes of age, plagued by dark yearnings, Imriel shares their fears. Searching for wisdom, the prince is trapped instead in a web of manipulation and murder, where Imriel must face his greatest test: to find his true self.