Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - The Curse of Chalion

Curse of Chalion follows a man old beyond his years after wars and becoming enslaved on a galley and escaping to return to his former home. Caz finds himself wrapped in the politics of Chalion as the tutor-secretary to the princess.

This is the longest book I've read by Lois McMaster Bujold and possibly the most character-focused despite the constant plot twists that occurs. Caz is a character who has been through a lot, and is simultaneously the most rigid and stubborn character in this book by leagues (and there was sometimes a light sense of humor twisted around that part). Sometimes the book moved a little slower than I was expecting, but it carried Lois McMaster Bujold's humor. It was also fun visiting the same world Penric is in during a completely different time and see the Five Gods twine themselves around a very different human than Penric.

With regard to the romance -

Not exactly the most thrilled with who Caz ends up romantically being interested in, but if I forget the 10 year age difference, it is alright.

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gothnailcare's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.25

I read this directly after The Hallowed Hunt and I wish I hadn't; it made me dislike both of the books more for feeling like they were variations on the same formula. I generally enjoy drawn-out political intrigue, but I felt like this book's magic/speculative elements diminished rather than augmented the courtly drama, and I found myself a bit disappointed that much of the negotiation that was apparently so central to this book's political machinations took place entirely off screen. I continue to be more impressed by the World of the Five Gods' worldbuilding than I am the moment-to-moment scenes of these books.

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crownoflaurel's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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e_flah's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The Curse of Chalion is a slow-paced, character-driven fantasy novel with all of the benefits and draw-backs that come with this type of story. It took over 100 pages for me to start to feel invested in the story and even longer than that for the plot to get truly interesting. The story centers on Cazaril's journey to recover from the horrors of his past and protect his charge, the Royesse Iselle, as she heads to court for the first time.

A lot of the plot hinges upon the politics both within Chalion and the larger external conflicts it is mired in. It could be very confusing to keep track of the key players as there are many with similar names and little detail is given of the other countries besides just general stereotypes. The internal politics were a bit clearer though I still found myself wishing for some kind of a character guide to keep track of the various factions and important positions.

The main characters in The Curse of Chalion were easy to root for but stayed relatively stagnant throughout the book. Cazaril, Iselle, and Betriz were all fundamentally decent though lacking in any real flaws that would have made them more interesting to read about. I kept hoping for some major character development that never materialized. Of the three, Caz is the most changed by his experiences but his character growth seems to make him an even more perfect character, which quickly grew boring.

Despite all of these complaints, there were times when I found myself really swept up in this story of people trying to do good despite facing misfortune on all sides. The portrayal of religion in Chalion was interesting and unlike anything else I'd read. It was also great to read a fantasy novel where the romance plays a very minor role in the story. I'm definitely open to trying the next book in the series as I found Ista's character compelling.

Content Warnings

obviousthings's review against another edition

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I've really enjoyed what I've read of this book, and I wish I could finish it. Discussion of illness is not something I can handle much of, though, and apparently it plays a large role in the rest of the story. For the sake of my mental health I need to stop here. I would highly recommend the story if that's something you can handle, though.

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