Kushiel's Dart

For a more detailed review, check out the SFF Book Review.
This is one of those books that drag incredibly in the beginning but pay off soooo much. I read about 250 pages, not really understanding the politics or the intrigue and I kept going only because I had grown to like Phèdre, Delauney, Alcuin and Hyacinthe. I cared for the characters first. When that big plot twist comes up, however, this is a rollercoaster ride of action, politics, intrigue, romance,... it's got everything.
And Jacqueline Carey's style may not be for everyone, but it is for me! I love her poetic, flowery language that makes the angelic people of Terre d'Ange (it's France) all the more ethereal and alien.
You'll need some time and you may have to push yourself through the first few hundred pages, but trust me: This will catapult Jacqueline Carey to the top of your favorite authors list. It did with me...