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ashleylm 's review for:
The Curse of Chalion
by Lois McMaster Bujold
I was holding off on reading this (the various covers didn't look enticing, the blurb didn't grab me) until one day I realised Lois McMaster Bujold is a terrifically entertaining writer, and if the book is half as good as the average Vorkosigan book, it'll be great. And it was.
Long (I read it as an Audible audiobook) but never less than enthralling, I'd find myself announcing I was about to embark on another lengthy walk, just so as to have an excuse to listen to more of it (I only do audio books while getting my steps in, luckily in a quiet neighbourhood where it's easy to social distance).
The characters are engaging, lively, and different from one another, the plot surprised and delighted, it wasn't cookie-cutter in its treatment of magic, and I was actually moved to (happy) tears when events went well because I cared about the characters. (And, conversely, was genuinely worried when events went less well).
Rather than swashing its buckle, quite a bit of the book is really about survival at court. As an ardent fan of The Goblin Emperor, I'd much rather read about how to double-cross the Chancellor's son, than to read about people hitting each other over and over, say.
It takes very little time to get behind Cazeril (don't know how to spell it--19 hours of audio book, but they never stop to give you the spelling) and wish him well on his adventure. Recommended!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
Long (I read it as an Audible audiobook) but never less than enthralling, I'd find myself announcing I was about to embark on another lengthy walk, just so as to have an excuse to listen to more of it (I only do audio books while getting my steps in, luckily in a quiet neighbourhood where it's easy to social distance).
The characters are engaging, lively, and different from one another, the plot surprised and delighted, it wasn't cookie-cutter in its treatment of magic, and I was actually moved to (happy) tears when events went well because I cared about the characters. (And, conversely, was genuinely worried when events went less well).
Rather than swashing its buckle, quite a bit of the book is really about survival at court. As an ardent fan of The Goblin Emperor, I'd much rather read about how to double-cross the Chancellor's son, than to read about people hitting each other over and over, say.
It takes very little time to get behind Cazeril (don't know how to spell it--19 hours of audio book, but they never stop to give you the spelling) and wish him well on his adventure. Recommended!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!