Customer Reviews

The Curse of Chalion

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Famous for her science fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold is an underrated fantasy author. If "Curse of Chalion" is anything to judge by, that won't stay that way for long.

Curse of Chalion (and its sequel, Paladin of Souls) is, at its heart, a book about faith, something rare in the fantasy genre. Bujold shows us glimpses of a rich and original theology that seems compellingly real and even inviting.

The main character in Curse of Chalion isn't an untried but promising youth or a competent veteran; he is a tired, traumatized man who lost everything - title, land, friends and self-esteem - when he was betrayed and sold into slavery. He has long since lost his defiance or his thirst for vengeance, and now just wants a home where he won't get yelled at much. From these (quite literally) humble beginnings he begins to piece together his life again - only to find the people he has begun to love threatened by the man who sold him to the enemy. Good with a sword, he is nevertheless not a Conan or Arthur who can solve problems by cutting his way through them. He has to rely on his wits, only to find enemies at every turn. In desperation, he makes the ultimate sacrifice...and finds that his work - and his healing - has only just begun.

Bujold's writing is evocative, her world original and well-thought out, and her characters deep and human while remaining sympathetic to the reader. Unlike other authors who delve into "realistic fantasy" by making it dark and gritty, Bujold manages to wrest a happy ending for her main characters without making the book saccharine or resorting to Deus Ex Machina. This is a must-read for fantasy lovers!

This is one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read, not something I'm prone to saying. It had great versimilitude, was original, intruiging and deeply satisfying. Highly recommended for mature readers, this story of faith, love and redemption will enjoy a place of honor on my bookshelf. I will be watching Lois McMaster Bujold's work closely from now on!

I read The Curse of Chalion because I was looking for a stand-alone fantasy novel (I'm hesitant to commit to a series after the Wheel of Time debacle), because I hadn't read any of this award-winning author's work, and because of the many glowing reviews here. It's obvious many people have loved this book. I had more mixed feelings about it, but I'll try to give my reasons why honestly. I simply hope that being honest instead of glowing doesn't draw unhelpful marks.

Unlike several other non-glowing reviewers, my criticism doesn't come from the author's 'dabbling' outside of the sci-fi genre in which she's established and honored. Readers (and publishers) do authors a great disservice if, and when, we pigeonhole them in that way. My criticism focuses on the more practical areas of the story and writing themselves.

The most significant flaw is, in many scenes, the writing is overdone or too descriptive and thus slows the pace considerably or else simply proves distracting. (It reads like a final draft, instead of a professionally edited manuscript.) For example, here's an exchange between a man and woman who have become attracted to each other, though an obstacle remains between them. She asks:

"Do you think I lack courage?"
"Never that," he breathed.
She addressed her feet in a growl. "I'd storm heaven for you, if I knew where it was."

So I respectfully disagree with the back cover blurb that this is "writing as good as it gets." It's competent and in some places clever, but hardly Pulitzer-caliber. Overall, I felt the book could have been edited down to three-fourths of its length and been not just as good, but better. It does accelerate nicely to an ending that ties up all the loose ends (but uses a pretty amazing/eye-rolling coincidence to make the ending possible). Also, the main character's self-effacing nature--his great competence in seeing everything except how wonderful people think he is--does become tiresome after a while. And other than him, the characterization is unremarkable.

On world-building, the theological system created here is impressive, as is its integration into a well-done calendar, court fashions and funeral rites. There are five gods in Chalion: the Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and Bastard. Each has his or her own colors and devotees, and while it's a well-developed pantheon, it raises a strange question: where did the Bastard come from, if not the Father and Mother? Also on world-building, the lack of a map greatly inhibited some of the scenes in which the characters discuss plans for traveling or military action.

At the core of this book, there's a good story to be found, but you have to be patient, especially through the slow middle chapters. I'd recommend it as either a used paperback purchase or a library loan for fans of medieval court intrigue or this particular author. Three neither-regretful-nor-glowing stars for a novel that's hardly a curse, but not quite a blessing either.

Disclaimer: Reviews will mainly concentrate on novels that I enjoyed, and in writing them I will attempt to be succinct and to avoid all manner of spoilery comments. A grading guide follows my reviews. Also, please note that while I have read widely in the genre, my tastes are quite distinct and thus readers should absorb my wisdom with, at the very least, a few pinches of salt. Cheers.
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Review of The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

Characterization: 3/10
Cazaril is a broken man who returns home and is unexpectedly given a position of great influence. Cazaril is the only character in the novel who feels remotely three-dimensional. Everyone else's personalities can be summed up in a single line: ambitious, treacherous nobles; the loyal servant; the strong-willed female 'princess'; etc. Each character performs their narrative function and that's about it. Nowhere near the level of sophistication in character development as books like The Name of the Wind or A Song of Ice and Fire.

Plotting and Pacing: 3/5 and 1/5
The plot moves along at a smoothe, consistent pace. Unfortunately, that pace is a slow one. I only bothered to finish reading it because I was going to write this review and even then I was nearly skimming by the end. The plot itself is uncomplicated and the only surprises came at times where I figured the author felt like there needed to be a surprise and just threw it in (instead of being necessary ingredients of the plot, properly foreshadowed, etc.). One of the main plot points, which involes Cazaril using 'the darkest, most forbidden of magics', happens nearly two hundred pages into the novel. Before that nothing much happens except Cazaril settling in, meeting everyone, and then the group being called to court. When I read a fantasy novel, I want to be hooked in the first five chapters, and earlier is usually better. Ice zombies get bonus points.

Setting: 5/10
An vaguely medieval setting with some sort of division of worship divided amongst various gods who can perform miracles. I get the feeling that these various gods are worshipped in very different ways and some aspects of how the society works are based on these divisions. Some of the names are changed for various positions of power: a priest is called a divine, a lord is called a roya, etc. Most of these changes seem superficial, but are not detrimental to understanding of the story itself. If the society were a bit more fleshed out and understandable I might have given it a better rating, but it seems pretty standard. Even the magic system is vague and seems to exist solely as a means of killing off characters and making their lives more difficult through curses.

Style and Themes: 3/5 and 1/5
Written in an easy-to-read style that nonetheless seems dated nowadays. Very few characters "say" anything. They might chide, or interject, or add or any number of other things. Adverbs are required in every paragraph for it to be complete, or so it seems. I'm probably being a bit harsh in this area, because they were not distracting as I read, but in going back through the book and skipping to random pages it becomes much more easily apparent how often they were used. Theme-wise there is very little to be said. A broken character rises again and though he suffers greatly for his loyalty he is rewarded and the evildoers are defeated in the end. I don't want to get more into the specifics than that, but let's just say that I'm not going to be awake at night wondering whether I would have made the same decisions as some of the characters or pondering the deeper meanings of life.

Total: 16/40
As my review suggests, you should borrow this one from the library if you are going to read it. Obviously Lois McMaster Bujold is a skilled author, as the blurb notes that she is a "Multiple Hugo and Nebula Award Winner" but this book simply doesn't work for me. I'd look at her more recent work, but I would highly recommend reading sample chapters before going out and spending your hard-earned money on this.

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Grading: Note that '5' is an average grade for each category, unexciting but still decent. Therefore, any novel that scores above twenty is above average and thus better than most of the other stuff floating around in bookshelves (at least in my opinion).

Rating Scale
01-09: Nigh unreadable
10-19: Get it from the library
20-24: A modest endorsement
25-29: Well-rounded and enjoyable
30-34: Highly recommended
35-40: A must-read!

This novel, somewhat different than her Miles books, is a stunning display of fantasy talent.

The book not only contains all the right elements, but weaves them together well to provide an immensely entertaining, and sometimes thought-provoking, read.

I got this book yesterday; finished it today. I couldn't put it down. It's a truly excellent fantasy story, complete in one book, and a welcome change from the tired epic fantasy format that so often turns out to be a variant on the Series that Does Not End. Unlike writers such as Martin or Jordan, Bujold constructs characters that feel like actual people instead of artificial bundles of traits stapled together for dramatic effect--for those Martin fans out there, for example, Iselle is what the character of Sansa should be and probably actually would be in real life, as opposed to the way Martin is portraying her: someone who has known from birth what her fate and marriage will be like and who has been trained to occupy the political role she will someday fill. Bujold's characters feel *four*-dimensional, they're so well rounded; Cazaril, the Provincara, Lady Ista, Teidez, Iselle and Betriz all feel like actual people. Michelle West is the only fantasy author I've seen come close to her skill in characterization. Bujold's world-building is excellent too; I could actually see the Provincara's household in my mind, and the way she slowly reveals Cazaril's history over the course of the book is extremely effective. Her cosmology is interesting and used to full effect to reinforce her narrative. I plan to get Paladin of Souls as soon as possible

Those who have become addicted to the antics and wry humor of Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series will be somewhat surprised by this book, but not disappointed. As her second entry into the world of fantasy, she shows in this book the same talent, dedication to detail, and adherence to the strictures of good writing applicable to the chosen genre as she does in her science fiction works.

Typical of many fantasy works, the imagined world is one of a feudal society, with technology appropriate to the Middle Ages, and deals almost entirely with the trials and tribulations of its aristocracy. But odd sidelights are shown on the working class folks, as we learn the details Lupe dy Cazaril experiences. A minor lord who was betrayed into slavery, we open the book with Caz, now a physically broken man, penniless, walks back to the only place he can think of that might offer him at least some sort of job, the castle at Valenda. Fate here is a little kinder, as he is given the job of tutor to royesse Iselle, sister to the heir of Chalion, and her lady in waiting Betriz, a job well suited to his current physical condition, requiring only quick wits and getting his charges to respect him. But this post leads Caz into the deep waters of court intrigue when the two girls and the fourteen-year old heir are called to the royal court of Cardegoss.

For the first 150 pages, there is very little magic, nothing to separate this world from the mundane, except one instance of 'death magic', an item that is attempted only rarely, as, when successful, it invariably kills the practitioner as well as the desired target. But when Iselle is promised to Dondo, brother of the Lord Chancellor, whom she decidedly despises, Caz attempts this magic himself, as the only way he sees to protect her. The fallout from this forms the main basis of the plot, complete with mystery, action, and an unraveling of a curse that exposes the much nearer relationship of the gods of this world to its inhabitants than is seen in our world. The invented religion shown here is one of the main points of departure from our own, and is inventive, believable, and inextricably tied to the plot action.

Caz is a true man of honor, as we are shown in incident after incident. This is one of the appeals of most fantasy works, as heroes are common coin, not relegated to the trashbin of other literary forms, and makes for interesting, uplifting reading. Iselle and Betriz are originally shown as typical teenage girls, flighty and irresponsible, but they show a sudden change to much more mature individuals after Iselle's bethrothal, a change I found a little difficult to believe due to its rapidity. But as adult characters they show steel, inventiveness, recognition of those true to them, characteristics of proper heroines. The minor characters are interesting and in many cases given a fair amount of development, leading to a very satisfactory intertwining of motivations, treachery, and incident. The romance that develops between Caz and Betritz is predictable, but well handled.

Most of the humor that suffuses her Miles books is missing here, and perhaps this book would have been a little better if more of it had been present. But as it is this is a satisfying read, with characters you can empathize with, and just enough touch of different, of things not as they are in our world, to whet your appetite for more words about this world.

Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Damn, this book was great! It was the first non-Miles book I've read of Bujold's, and it was wonderful! I don't know how she is so wonderfully able to keep you hanging on every word she writes. I loved the cosmology she has created in the book, as well: The Mother, The Father, The Son, The Daughter, (...). Despite the large number of books she has already written, every page of this is one is fresh.

This book is of a very high quality writing, characters wonderfully drawn, likeable, plot is quite unique, not a lot of magic in it which is ok here. The best part is the dry humor that makes you just laugh out loud as you sympathize with the main character. Very funny, although a serious and interesting plot Reminds me of a cross between Song of the Basilisk (often lovely, poetic phrasing) and Prince of Foxes (court intrigue). I really liked it.

Many other good reviews already exist about this book. All I wanted to say was that I feel terrible about only being able to give this book 5 stars. I have been rating other fantasy novels that I liked at 3-4 stars, and this book is ten times better than any of them. I liked the Miles Vorkosigan series, but this book has catapulted me to a new level of Lois M Bujold worship.
The King is dead, long live Bujold!

I've never read any of Bujold's other work, but after _The Curse of Chalion_ I think I might. This is an absorbing, skillfully-woven tale of curses and consequences, told with succinct artistry in a single volume. (I gather more books set in this world are to come, but the story here is self-contained).

Having escaped the slavery that he was betrayed into, Cazaril returns home a broken man. He is appointed tutor to the spirited Royesse Iselle, whose fierce intelligence and infectious passion for life gives him back some of the joy he has lost, and a purpose - protecting her, whatever the cost to himself. Gradually, he becomes aware of a terrible curse afflicting the royal family, and determines to lift it.

The curse itself is a fascinating creation, one intimately bound up in the nature of the world Bujold has created. The gods are very much active forces, here, and consequences resonate through generations. Curse and story alike unfold in unexpected, occasionally shocking directions, resulting in a quite brilliant portrait of how desperation can warp even the strongest fidelity.

The characters are engaging and most are well-rounded, each bringing their own histories and secrets to the story, which unfold naturally with the narrative. Their pain - physical and emotional - is believable and affecting.

Even over 400 pages, the novel doesn't quite retain its momentum; the pacing is a little uneven and the ending a little unsatisfying (to me, at least). Nevertheless, this is a gripping and intriguing tale that I couldn't put down.