A royal curse and worse
Written: Feb 12 '03 (Updated Apr 26 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Bujold shows again she's the master of character and plot
Cons: Slightly slow in the middle, but not enough to blemish this book
The Bottom Line: I can't say enough about this book. If you're a fantasy fan, go out and get this book. If you're not, you may still be interested.
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| hist's Full Review: Curse of Chalion Books |
The Curse of Chalion is Lois McMaster Bujold’s second fantasy novel. Known mostly for her science fiction Miles Vorkosigan series, she has rarely dabbled in fantasy. I haven’t read her first one, The Spirit Ring, but if this is any indication, I should run out and buy it immediately. The Curse of Chalion is a wonderful tale, beautifully told with flare and style.
The Story
Cazaril is a broken man. A former courtier and soldier for Chalion, Cazaril was betrayed years ago and made a slave on an enemy galley. He endured horrific torture, but he is finally free. He wants nothing more than to return to the household of the Dowager Provincara, where he served as a page in his youth. He’ll take anything, even a menial kitchen job.
The gods, however, will not allow him to fade into obscurity. He’s welcomed warmly, fed and clothed, and named as secretary to the Royesse Iselle, the Provincara’s daughter and the sister of the next ruler of Chalion. This job will take him where he doesn’t want to go: the court of Chalion in the city of Cardegoss. The people who betrayed him are now in positions of power, having the current ruler in their pocket. Cazaril does not look forward to having to deal with these people.
What Cazaril doesn’t know is that an even greater evil hangs over the royal family. A shadow surrounds not just the family, but anybody who enters their circle. Cazaril is left to try and figure out what he can do to remove this blight. He finds himself forced to resort to some of the most vilest and forbidden magic to try and solve the problem. While it works in the short term, Cazril finds that this puts him on a path of destiny, a tool of the Five Gods with a fate unknown, but not looking very pleasant.
What Did I Think?
I’ve been a huge fan of the Vorkosigan series for a long time, and I think Bujold is one of the best writers out there. It still took me a little bit of time to decide to try this book. Am I glad I finally did, though. The Curse of Chalion is a fantastic book. Bujold shows her masterful characterization ability with a cast of unique and interesting people. Cazaril is the ultimate reluctant hero. He just wants to be left alone. He wants to join the Provincara’s household, under the radar of his enemies, and live out his life in peace. When it’s shown that destiny won’t allow him this luxury, he tackles his job with resigned dedication. He has a gentle sense of humour, and he has a very sweet romance with Betriz, the Royesse Iselle’s lady in waiting. When the three of them are together, conspiring or trying to decide what to do as events go from bad to worse, the dialogue is snappy and each of them bring their own point of view to the proceedings. These are not cardboard characters. The romance slowly grows, appearing one-sided at first, but Bujold slowly reveals that the feelings are mutual. By this time, of course, Cazaril thinks he’s going to be dead soon, so he tries hard to push her away. I found the whole thing tragic and I really felt for them.
There are far too many characters to go into great detail of how individualistic they are, but let me talk about the villain for a minute. In dy Jironal, Bujold creates a truly three-dimensional villain. He has a lust for power, but he is also practical. He works with Cazaril when he has to, and his plans are thought out well. Cazaril and his compatriots are forced to actually out-think him rather than winning due to the villain’s stupidity. There aren’t any “moustache-twirling moments,” though a couple of times in battle come close. However, those can be attributed to the stress of the situation. I was really impressed with dy Jironal, and there was true tension in the situation. Would Cazaril be able to defeat him? Probably, but only because it doesn’t seem like it will be a book with a downbeat ending. But the doubt is always there, as dy Jironal maneuvers Cazaril into one desperate move after another.
The plot is very interesting as well. Cazaril is fighting a war on two fronts. He’s trying to prevent dy Jironal from taking power by getting the Royesse’s brother under his power for the inevitable time when the current ruler dies. But this is only peripheral to the curse that’s hanging over the Royesse’s family. Cazaril has to fight a war on both sides, as he tries to figure out a way to end the curse and still deprive dy Jironal of his ambitions. The plot has a sort of epic feel, in that Cazaril ends up journeying all over the land, but it is also a very intimate plot. What it boils down to is that Cazaril must save a young woman for whom he has great respect and affection, as well as having romantic feelings for her assistant. This sort of plot would not be very interesting if it wasn’t for the characters, so it’s imperative that Bujold populate her story with interesting people. Thankfully, she does.
Finally, I have to compliment Bujold on her world-building. It shouldn’t surprise any readers of the Vorkosigan series that she creates a vivid, detailed world full of intriguing complications, people, lands and politics. The political situation is very realistic, with some break-away provinces, neighbours who have to deal with their own insurrections and a nice combination of allies and enemies to Chalion. The line of succession in Chalion is very realistically managed and the whole thing ties together nicely.
Where I must really compliment Bujold, though, is in the use of religion. The world has five gods, The Mother, The Father, The Sister and the Brother, along with the B*stard. Some countries do not believe in the B*stard, though. When someone dies, part of the funeral is to have a representative from each god come to the funeral, release its sacred animal, and see which animal will go to the deceased. Whichever god’s animal does this is the god who has taken the spirit of the deceased. If no animals go to the corpse, then the spirit is doomed to wander the land, or something else has happened. This becomes very important in the story, and is the first indication that Cazaril is going to have a lot more to deal with than he planned. Bujold creates a very interesting religious system, and then makes it very important to the plot.
Ultimately, I can’t recommend this book enough. It dragged very slightly in the middle, but it’s almost unnoticeable. That’s the only flaw I can pick out in this book. If you’re a fantasy fan, you really should pick this one up. If you’re a Vorkosigan fan but have been reluctant to try a Bujold that’s not a Vorkosigan book, don’t be. Take the plunge and pick this one up. You won’t regret it. Bujold’s hit another home run.
Other books by Lois McMaster Bujold
Chalion Universe
The Curse of Chalion
Paladin of Souls
The Hallowed Hunt
Miles Vorkosigan
Diplomatic Immunity
A Civil Campaign
Komarr
Barrayar
Shards of Honor
Memory
Mirror Dance
"Winterfair Gifts" in Irresistible Forces
The Sharing Knife
Beguilement
Legacy
Passage
Horizon
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: David Roy
Location: Vancouver, BC
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