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mizelse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Chronic illness, and Body shaming
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
elizas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Violence
nekoshka's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Misogyny, Animal death, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: War, Sexual assault, and Rape
sapphicsoilscientist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Slavery and Violence
Minor: Rape, Vomit, Torture, and Body horror
the rape is implied as something that happens on enemy ships and once in a castle keep but it does not happen 'on screen.' There is mention of some infidelity, but it turns out that everyone involved was apparently on the same page about it? The slavery is not like the trans-atlantic trade. tl;dr- fantasy writers will never not use fantasy men threatening rape as a way to get fantasy ladies to do what they want.astroprojection's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Violence, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Rape
bookycnidaria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Violence, War, Murder, Slavery, and Mental illness
Minor: Rape, Homophobia, and Sexism
albernikolauras's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
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 -
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Animal death, Homophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, and Violence
Minor: Murder, War, Rape, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Infertility
natcat's review
- 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
4.0
I started rereading this book on a whim just for a couple of scenes, and ended up staying up too late and reading the whole book!
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Slavery
e_flah's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Moderate: Violence, Death, Animal death, and Slavery
Minor: Infertility and Suicidal thoughts