#8 The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
At thirty-five, Cazaril has already seen a life's worth of adventure, and peril. His experiences in war have left him both emotionally and
physically scarred, as well as prematurely aged. Looking to start life anew, he decides to travel to his childhood home, Valenda, where he plans on asking the Dowager Provincara for a simple job to help him make a living. What he doesn't know is he's about to become the secretary-tutor of royess Iselle, who's brother is set to inherit to the throne of Chalion. His new position will take him back to the capitol where he will face complex politics, as well is the will of the gods themselves.
Although I've heard great things about Lois McMater Bujold, this is the first time I've ever picked up a book by her. After reading The Curse of Chalion, the January selection for calico_reaction 's book club, I'm beginning to wonder what took me so long. Bujold has a real talent for crafting complex and beloved characters that don't always fall into traditional fantasy tropes. Cazaril, a man who has already experienced so much, is an incredibly likable hero, quiet and calm as opposed to being bold and brash. The secondary cast is also fantastic. For example, I loved watching Iselle grow from a spirited and enthusiastic young girl to, through the tutelage of Cazaril, an intelligent young woman. I enjoyed getting to meet and learn about the characters so much that I barely noticed that not much happened plot-wise in the first half of the book. I actually ended up enjoying the slower pace, which is uncommon for me.
Once we get into the story, things do speed up a little bit and get really interesting. I don't want to spoil much, so I'll keep things vague. There were few events that I did not see coming at all, and I even found myself gasping aloud at times. During this section of the book, we also get to learn more about the religious system, which is focused around the worship of five different gods (the mother, the father, the son, the daughter, and the bastard). I found Bujold's unique take on “saints” to be really interesting. I also couldn't help but feel incredibly sorry for Cazaril. He's such a likable and honorable character, but Bujold puts him through hell during this novel, especially the second half. I spent the entire novel hoping and praying that he would have a happy ending.
The Curse of Chalion has many of the elements I look for in a good fantasy novel, complex characters, strong world building (especially the religious system), a plot that's not predictable, and a nice romantic side plot. I was very happy when I discovered that Bujold has written two other novels in this universe, and plan on reading them once I have the chance.
Rating: five stars
Length: 502 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Similar Books: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (my review), and Inda by Sherwod Smith (my review).
Other books I've read by this author: this is my first
Next up, I will be reviewing The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin and People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
physically scarred, as well as prematurely aged. Looking to start life anew, he decides to travel to his childhood home, Valenda, where he plans on asking the Dowager Provincara for a simple job to help him make a living. What he doesn't know is he's about to become the secretary-tutor of royess Iselle, who's brother is set to inherit to the throne of Chalion. His new position will take him back to the capitol where he will face complex politics, as well is the will of the gods themselves.
Although I've heard great things about Lois McMater Bujold, this is the first time I've ever picked up a book by her. After reading The Curse of Chalion, the January selection for calico_reaction 's book club, I'm beginning to wonder what took me so long. Bujold has a real talent for crafting complex and beloved characters that don't always fall into traditional fantasy tropes. Cazaril, a man who has already experienced so much, is an incredibly likable hero, quiet and calm as opposed to being bold and brash. The secondary cast is also fantastic. For example, I loved watching Iselle grow from a spirited and enthusiastic young girl to, through the tutelage of Cazaril, an intelligent young woman. I enjoyed getting to meet and learn about the characters so much that I barely noticed that not much happened plot-wise in the first half of the book. I actually ended up enjoying the slower pace, which is uncommon for me.
Once we get into the story, things do speed up a little bit and get really interesting. I don't want to spoil much, so I'll keep things vague. There were few events that I did not see coming at all, and I even found myself gasping aloud at times. During this section of the book, we also get to learn more about the religious system, which is focused around the worship of five different gods (the mother, the father, the son, the daughter, and the bastard). I found Bujold's unique take on “saints” to be really interesting. I also couldn't help but feel incredibly sorry for Cazaril. He's such a likable and honorable character, but Bujold puts him through hell during this novel, especially the second half. I spent the entire novel hoping and praying that he would have a happy ending.
The Curse of Chalion has many of the elements I look for in a good fantasy novel, complex characters, strong world building (especially the religious system), a plot that's not predictable, and a nice romantic side plot. I was very happy when I discovered that Bujold has written two other novels in this universe, and plan on reading them once I have the chance.
Rating: five stars
Length: 502 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Similar Books: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (my review), and Inda by Sherwod Smith (my review).
Other books I've read by this author: this is my first
Next up, I will be reviewing The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin and People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads