Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book in a series. I loved the characters, although I missed Caz, Iselle and Betriz from [b:The Curse of Chalion|61886|The Curse of Chalion (World of the Five Gods, #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1322571773l/61886._SY75_.jpg|1129349], the first book.

As always Bujold comes up with interesting premises and executes them so well.

lanica's review against another edition

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5.0

What a wonderful book! I really liked [b:The Curse of Chalion|61886|The Curse of Chalion (Chalion, #1)|Lois McMaster Bujold|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170597725s/61886.jpg|1129349], but this book overshadows is entirely. I loved that she took a minor character from one novel and gave her a story all her own. I love that the twists and turns in the plot were not obvious and I loved the characters. That's key to me, I'm all about the characters. A novel can be well written, ingenuous plot, historically accurate and funny or educational or dramatic...or whatever the author is going for, but if the characters don't feel real to me, the book is never going to become one of my favorites. This book is one of the most wonderful examples of character driven writing I can remember reading. Even the evil and the pitiful are given such wonderful attention and detail.

cathybruce208's review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed this book. One of my gauges is how sad I am to finish a book. I was really sorry to leave this world and this character, Ista, behind.

Ista has been a saint for most of her life. Saints are "god-touched", but if you think that's a blessing, you'd be wrong. Ista has also been cursed most of her life, and as a result, most of her family and friends think she's been mad. Actually, she thought she was crazy too for a while. But now, due to the events of "The Curse of Chalion" the curse is broken, Ista is sane (more or less) for the first time in 20 years, and facing middle age mostly alone. Even worse, she's surrounded by people who are afraid that her sanity may be short-lived. They treat her like a china cup. What can a well-born woman do to get away from it all? How about going on a pilgrimage?

amlibera's review against another edition

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5.0

I'm not sure how or why I forget how much I love the LMB's work - as with Chalion, this takes just a bit of effort to get into but pays off every bit of that effort and more. This is a mystery, an adventure, story,and a meditation on death and the power and responsibilities of faith. Not to mention, amazing world building and a kick ass lead character who is female, complex, highly competent and not nineteen years old.

emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition

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5.0

Um, can I have six stars, please? I loved this book to bits. I was attracted to Ista's character in The Curse of Chalion, but felt she was underserved, imagine my delight when I discovered she got an entire book to herself.

The coming of age story is common in fantasy, but for the most part, it's young people coming of age, not middle-aged women whose children are all gone/grown, discovering what they're supposed to do next. I've seen so many women go through this transition, but I don't think I've ever read a fantasy book that featured it.

elllljayyyy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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