A ranking of Carey novels

Well, I'm almost done reading through a series of nine novels written by Jacqueline Carey. The nine are part of the Kushiel series at large and each trilogy is distinct from the other, with the final trilogy taking place centuries after the first two. Since I enjoyed these novels so much and they have such a large influence on me, I thought I would do my own personal ranking along with why I feel that novel falls in that particular position.

So without further ado...* Drum-roll* (And also, probable spoiler warning!)

1. Kushiel's Scion - Not only is it the most accessible of all her novels, but it introduces my favourite character through the entire series in the protagonist's role. Imriel is heartbreakingly human and Carey's style of writing in the first person point of view really makes you feel how he feels at times. If you think about it, that's a pretty rare thing. It's not that often that writers can make you really care about a character in such a way. Plus, I find that Carey's best work in this series was in Terre D'Ange, where politics and intrigue run hand-in-hand with passion and romance. It's very suiting that half of such a great novel takes place there.
2. Kushiel's Dart - Enter Phedre, a protagonist who is not only smart and sexy, but has a spy's trained memory and loves pain and sex (which sometimes go hand-in-hand for her). It breaks the norm so much that the very idea of it all stands out boldly. Throw in some of the politics and intrigues into the mix, combine that with some adventure and a love story, and you've got one hell of a novel. The only reason it's lower than Scion on my list is because it's less accessible.
3. Kushiel's Justice - The first half is concerned with Imriel's romances, feelings, and responsibilities. The second half sees him on a ridiculously long quest for vengeance on a bear-witch who killed his wife and their unborn son. In this novel we really see Imriel grow and by the time he finally does kill Berlik (the aforementioned bear-witch), we can see this growth in the fact that he actually breaks down in tears. You would imagine that Imriel would feel so alone in ways - and he does. The novel reflects this perfectly and since you're put in his shoes, you almost feel as desperate as he does sometimes. The contrived plot and slow build-up make this one a keeper for me.
4. Kushiel's Avatar - Phedre and her Cassiline lover Joscelin end up on a quest that takes them through the heart of evil and literally to places no one from their country has even dared explore. For me, this novel was the pure adventure one out of all of them and dealt with some pretty heavy themes. The darkness delved into and the healing from it are pitted against varied and appropriate backdrops. I found it both thematically impressive and equally as impressive in depth and purpose of setting.
5. Namaah's Curse - I was actually surprised that this one came so high up on my list. I was really slow to grow fond of the new characters but absolutely loved the issues touched upon in the novel (out-of-control religious zealots, nomadic tribes, assassin stronghold of fear, etc.). By the end of those experiences and continuous improvements in already great writing by Carey, I really felt that the characters finally grew on me.
6. Kushiel's Chosen - There's no particular reason that this one comes in sixth on my list. I really enjoyed it and found it to be a great book. I guess my only complaint was that I wanted more at the end. A particular enjoyable part for me was the reintroduction of Melisande Shahrizai as the villain, which was hinted at in the previous novel, of course. She's one of the most perplexing and enjoyable characters in all nine books.
7. Namaah's Blessing - I've actually not yet finished this book but I've got enough of a flavour to know that I won't like it as much as the second one but more than the first one. The verdict is out and this could change but I doubt it will. All in all, an enjoyable read with some awesome characters.
8. Kushiel's Mercy -  I loved this book and it was actually the first one I read despite being the last in the Imriel trilogy. I loved how accessible it was but felt that it got a little slow around the parts where Imriel thinks he is Leander Maignard due to a magic spell and must seduce his actual romantic interest in order to break the spells on both of them. That part just seemed a little...laboured to me. I don't mean to say that it was bad by any means but it was a little hard to get behind.
9. Namaah's Kiss - I really had a hard time getting to like the new characters and thought that it was a touch on the bland side until around midway through. The good news is that once it got to the end, I was pretty into it and invested. Maybe it's just me and I'm a little impatient when it comes to slower development.

Well, that's it. If I've mentioned any faults, it's more or less me nitpicking stuff. I consider these all to be great novels but there are little things that put one above the other for me. If you're looking for around 8,000 pages of good stuff to read then I would suggest all of these. If you want to follow the flavour of my rankings, pick up the Imriel trilogy first and the Phedre one second. You won't ruin much on yourself except a decently large twist in the first novel. However, I find that they are far more accessible that way and by the time you make it to the Phedre trilogy, you won't have cared that you read ahead because you'll be hooked. The Namaah books are really good too but you'll appreciate them more if you've been hooked on the first six first.