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A review by xkrow
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
4.0
An excellent fantasy book that is an equal parts foray into politics, religion, character work, romance, and well, crows. (As you may gather from my username, I really enjoyed this last part.)
The books begin as it unfolds - slowly, but with a secret hidden underneath. Who is this man on the road? What has brought him here? And what will he do with the diary of Death Magic he has just discovered? You slowly find out his identity and follow his new line of work. This beginning has been called slow, and I agree, but that isn't quite a bad thing. It was really nice to get accustomed to these characters in a normal setting, with the driving force being Caz's backstory, before throwing them into all that follows.
And thrown we are. Bujold spins a masterful tale here, pulling in from all the small elements she had set up earlier to begin crafting a wicked plot. I have to admit, I accidently spoiled myself on two elements of this book by looking somewhere I shouldn't have, but I was surprised to see them play out immediately in the my next reading session, one after the other. Despite knowing they were going to happen, I had not suspected this, assuming they would be saved from the ultimate climax. But no, the rug is pulled from under you at the 40% mark and you're suddenly thrust into an entirely different dimension of this world that is just as fascinating. It is a joy to follow Caz and Iselle and the others as they attempt to maneuver themselves out of this trouble and the twists simply don't stop until the penultimate chapters. I held my breath (metaphorically) through so many parts and the sigh of ultimate relief that left me at the end was breath-taking (heh).
On a more technical note, Bujold's prose is also fantastic. I was immediately sucked into the first chapter by her lush descriptions and they continued throughout. It is densely packed but not tough to read, striking a great balance. Each character feels like someone different. The world sings through her words.
Chapter 22 is absolutely my favorite part of the book, no doubt about it. Its such a wonderful mix of reveals, political scheming, character interaction, and a hint of fairy-tale that creates an extremely entertaining and charming package that left me grinning ear to ear.
The books begin as it unfolds - slowly, but with a secret hidden underneath. Who is this man on the road? What has brought him here? And what will he do with the diary of Death Magic he has just discovered? You slowly find out his identity and follow his new line of work. This beginning has been called slow, and I agree, but that isn't quite a bad thing. It was really nice to get accustomed to these characters in a normal setting, with the driving force being Caz's backstory, before throwing them into all that follows.
And thrown we are. Bujold spins a masterful tale here, pulling in from all the small elements she had set up earlier to begin crafting a wicked plot. I have to admit, I accidently spoiled myself on two elements of this book by looking somewhere I shouldn't have, but I was surprised to see them play out immediately in the my next reading session, one after the other. Despite knowing they were going to happen, I had not suspected this, assuming they would be saved from the ultimate climax. But no, the rug is pulled from under you at the 40% mark and you're suddenly thrust into an entirely different dimension of this world that is just as fascinating. It is a joy to follow Caz and Iselle and the others as they attempt to maneuver themselves out of this trouble and the twists simply don't stop until the penultimate chapters. I held my breath (metaphorically) through so many parts and the sigh of ultimate relief that left me at the end was breath-taking (heh).
On a more technical note, Bujold's prose is also fantastic. I was immediately sucked into the first chapter by her lush descriptions and they continued throughout. It is densely packed but not tough to read, striking a great balance. Each character feels like someone different. The world sings through her words.
Chapter 22 is absolutely my favorite part of the book, no doubt about it. Its such a wonderful mix of reveals, political scheming, character interaction, and a hint of fairy-tale that creates an extremely entertaining and charming package that left me grinning ear to ear.