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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Good intrigue and a bit of magic fantasy book. Good characterization.
I don't love this as much as her Vorkosigan sci-fi series (perhaps my second favorite book series ever) but I'll definitely pick up the next one soon.
I don't love this as much as her Vorkosigan sci-fi series (perhaps my second favorite book series ever) but I'll definitely pick up the next one soon.
Solid fantasy focused more on court intrigue than spells and potions. An inventive religious structure sets this book apart.
I loved this book. I can't say that LMB is slept on, exactly, as she's won a ton of awards and recognition over the years. But as a lifelong sf/f fan, she was not really on my radar. That's probably partly sexism and partly that I didn't have immediate friends who had read her books. It was really Reddit book discussions that got me interested in her; Curse of Chalion is a very common recommendation on r/fantasy--and rightly so! (I also read a Miles Vorkosigan book a few months ago and loved it--the only other author I can think of that has written such good books in both sci-fi and fantasy is the late, great UKL.)
It's hard for me to say concisely what is so great about it, in large part because it's about the book being consistently excellent on many fronts. Foremost I think is the character of the protagonist, Lupe dy Cazaril. He's a good person and someone you are always rooting for, and LMB's relation of his internal thought processes is very charming. He's an unusual fantasy hero in being older (OK, only mid-30s, but in a world where that's considered somewhat old, and having been through some experiences that prematurely aged him), suffering from PTSD, and without any superpowers. We meet him at a very low point in his life, but also on an upward trajectory. I really liked some of the supporting characters as well, especially Iselle and Umegat.
The fantasy worldbuilding is also very well done. The world is directly inspired by Reconquista era Iberia, which is just different enough from "traditional medieval European fantasy" to be mentally engaging. There are no magical creatures of any kind, and magic such as it is is really only accomplished by divine intervention, but the gods are real and influence events. Learning about how the gods operate, from Umegat and then through events in the narrative, was one of the most fun parts of the book for me.
Finally, I thought the plot was enjoyably low-key. It's neither a world-shattering epic plot nor a gritty sword-and-sorcery tale; rather, it's mostly court intrigue with regional stakes. Fans of The Goblin Emperor will feel at home here, though I felt the plot in Curse of Chalion was more engaging. And the plot engages well with the most interesting parts of the world-building--the role of the gods and the political intrigues between regional powers.
I think if one just read a synopsis of the book it might seem like there was some icky wish fulfillment going on with Cazaril's romantic engagement with a much younger woman who is also his pupil (I think she is in the 18-20 range). But the way it played out didn't feel icky. Their romance is extremely chaste and low-key, and I also appreciated that the romance was not with the most obvious candidate.
I really enjoyed the audiobook narration by Lloyd James. He adds a lot of (what I assume are) extra-textual chuckles and hesitations to Cazaril's speech and thoughts, which seemed to me very consistent with his character and helped bring him to life for me.
I am very much going to read Paladin of Souls, and just giving myself a little breather before I do as they are both quite long audiobooks!
It's hard for me to say concisely what is so great about it, in large part because it's about the book being consistently excellent on many fronts. Foremost I think is the character of the protagonist, Lupe dy Cazaril. He's a good person and someone you are always rooting for, and LMB's relation of his internal thought processes is very charming. He's an unusual fantasy hero in being older (OK, only mid-30s, but in a world where that's considered somewhat old, and having been through some experiences that prematurely aged him), suffering from PTSD, and without any superpowers. We meet him at a very low point in his life, but also on an upward trajectory. I really liked some of the supporting characters as well, especially Iselle and Umegat.
The fantasy worldbuilding is also very well done. The world is directly inspired by Reconquista era Iberia, which is just different enough from "traditional medieval European fantasy" to be mentally engaging. There are no magical creatures of any kind, and magic such as it is is really only accomplished by divine intervention, but the gods are real and influence events. Learning about how the gods operate, from Umegat and then through events in the narrative, was one of the most fun parts of the book for me.
Finally, I thought the plot was enjoyably low-key. It's neither a world-shattering epic plot nor a gritty sword-and-sorcery tale; rather, it's mostly court intrigue with regional stakes. Fans of The Goblin Emperor will feel at home here, though I felt the plot in Curse of Chalion was more engaging. And the plot engages well with the most interesting parts of the world-building--the role of the gods and the political intrigues between regional powers.
I think if one just read a synopsis of the book it might seem like there was some icky wish fulfillment going on with Cazaril's romantic engagement with a much younger woman who is also his pupil (I think she is in the 18-20 range). But the way it played out didn't feel icky. Their romance is extremely chaste and low-key, and I also appreciated that the romance was not with the most obvious candidate.
I really enjoyed the audiobook narration by Lloyd James. He adds a lot of (what I assume are) extra-textual chuckles and hesitations to Cazaril's speech and thoughts, which seemed to me very consistent with his character and helped bring him to life for me.
I am very much going to read Paladin of Souls, and just giving myself a little breather before I do as they are both quite long audiobooks!
I read this after 'Paladin of Souls,' which centers on one of the minor characters in this novel (and relegates the protagonist of this one to a minor character). Unfortunately that spoiled me. The plot is excellent and all, but Cazaril is just less fun of a character than Ista - he's so serious and in a material sense has a lot more to lose, at least at the beginning of the narrative, self-sacrificing...all those things that make a person good but, well, I don't read fiction cause I want to be inspired by the best in humanity.
So anyway, I will reiterate that this isn't a bad read at all, I just really should've read it first. Which would have been the publication order. Argh
So anyway, I will reiterate that this isn't a bad read at all, I just really should've read it first. Which would have been the publication order. Argh
Nominally, this is your traditional anglo-saxon-esque fantasy with courtly intrigues and a complicated struggle for succession with some interesting belief system thrown in, but I think what makes this into such an enduring favourite is the impeccable character work, and especially Caz. There are plenty of fantasy books with protagonists who had a tough life full of hardships, but very few who are shown to have grown into kindness through that process.
It took a bit to grow on me, but the story got better and better and was really terrific by the end. I look forward to trying more books by Bujold.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
Awesome. She's a great writer. Kind of long sometimes, and things worked out a little too perfectly. Otherwise, cool plot and sweet characters. Complicated issues of good and evil, which was cool. Excellent fantasy, for anyone interested in finding sweet pulp-esque fantasy.
It's like taking a mythology tale, and adding modern tropes, and fun relatable characters
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes