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The Curse of Chalion

By Lois McMaster Bujold

(26)

| Hardcover | 9780380979011

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Book Description

In a dazzling display of invention and storytelling, the incomparable Lois McMaster Bujold offers us the razor-keen edge of a very different sword...

The Curse of Chalion

On the eve of the Daughter's Day -- the grand celebration that will honor the Lady of Spring, one of the fi Continue

In a dazzling display of invention and storytelling, the incomparable Lois McMaster Bujold offers us the razor-keen edge of a very different sword...

The Curse of Chalion

On the eve of the Daughter's Day -- the grand celebration that will honor the Lady of Spring, one of the five reigning deities -- a man broken in body and spirit makes his way slowly down the road to Valenda. A former courtier and soldier, Cazaril has survived indignity and horrific torture as a slave aboard an enemy galley. Now he seeks nothing more than a menial job in the kitchens of the Dowager Provincara, in the noble household where he served as page in his youth.

But the gods have greater plans for this humbled man. Welcomed warmly, clothed and fed, he is named, to his great surprise, secretary tutor to the Royesse Iselle -- the beautiful, strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is destined to be the next ruler of the land. But the assignment must ultimately carry Cazaril to the one place he fears even more than the sea: to the royal court of Cardegoss, rife with intrigues and lethal treacheries.

In Cardegoss, the powerful enemies who once placed Cozoril in chains and bound him to a Roknori oar now occupy the most lofty positions in the realm, beneath only the Roya himself. Yet something for more sinister than their scheming hangs like a sword over the royal family: a curse of the blood that taints not only those who would rule, but those who stand in their circle. The life and future of both Iselle and her entire blighted House of Cholion lie in dire peril. The only recourse left to her loyal, damaged servant is the employment of the darkest and most forbidden of magics -- a choice that Will indelibly mark Cazaril as a tool of the miraculous ... and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death for as long as he dares walk the five-fold pathway of the gods.

Only Robert A. Heinlein has won more Hugo Awards for Best Novel than Lois McMaster Bujold, a singularly lauded author whose work has been compared to Jane Austen's. Now channeling her remarkable storytelling genius in an exciting new direction, she creates a riveting tale rich in atmosphere, magic, character, and consequence that twists and turns in unanticipated ways. Much more than simply the next eagerly awaited tour de force by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Curse of Chalion is a stunning masterwork of fantastic invention that demonstrates the vast range of her astonishing tolents -- and elevates her into the pantheon of premier contemporary fantasists.

Critics

  • The Curse of Chalion

    Desert Isle Keeper Review The Curse of Chalion When we meet Lupe dy Cazaril, he is impoverished, nearly-crippled, emotionally broken, and mistaken for a beggar. Several years before, during a disastrous military campaign, he was betrayed by his comma ... (read full critics)

    likesbooks published on Tue, 31 Aug 2010

4 Reviews

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  • A little more disjointed and less intimate than the second book, but it is to be expected, as the cast and scope of this story is far wider, going from bildungsroman to political intrigue, diplomacy, travel and adventure... and applied theology, of course, this being the book of the Daughter.
    If the ... (continue)

    A little more disjointed and less intimate than the second book, but it is to be expected, as the cast and scope of this story is far wider, going from bildungsroman to political intrigue, diplomacy, travel and adventure... and applied theology, of course, this being the book of the Daughter.
    If there is a fault I can find is that, with so many things happening in the plot, there is little time to explore all of the characters, some of which remain little more than cardboard cut-outs. It goes to Bujold's favour, though, that some of those characters, like the dy Gura brothers, will find more space and growth in the following book.
    In any case, The Curse of Chalion is a good gripping book and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

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    Ian Atrus said on Aug 26, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • More romance novel than fantasy. Honestly, I finished it because it didn't irritate me enough to not finish it. I'm not planning on reading any more from this particular author.

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    oleander said on Oct 30, 2007 | Add your feedback

  • Wonderful story with great heros and heroines. Cazaril is one of the best ever written about. This is the third time I read it.

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    jackie said on Jul 25, 2007 | Add your feedback

  • Review

    Lois McMaster Bujold is one of the big names in SFF, but I’ve only recently come to read her books. A few months ago I read Paladin of Souls, which is the second in the Chalion series. But although there are reoccuring characters and shared history I don’t think you have to have the first one in ord ... (continue)

    Lois McMaster Bujold is one of the big names in SFF, but I’ve only recently come to read her books. A few months ago I read Paladin of Souls, which is the second in the Chalion series. But although there are reoccuring characters and shared history I don’t think you have to have the first one in order to read that. I hadn’t, but I’m sure that if I now reread it after reading The Curse of Chalion it would make a lot more sense.

    The main hero of this novel is Cazaril, a man who has only recently escaped from life as a slave, chained to an oar. Now he returns to a former home where he once served as page, looking for somewhere to call home. Where he can rest and recuperate. Instead he finds himself appointed secretary-tutor to the Royesse Iselle, the sister to the heir to the throne of Chalion. And in the process becomes caught up in political intrigue, as well as theological debates and the work of the gods.

    In some ways Chalion stands in for Castile, with Royina (Princess) Iselle standing in for Isabella of Castile, but it is not a historical novel tinged with fantasy elements, rather a fantasy novel inspired by history.

    Throughout the book religion plays a large role, as does discussion on the nature of free will and the role of the gods. But in an entertaining, though serious, way. Cazaril’s story is one of sacrifice, redemption and divine intervention.
    The curse of the title happened before the novel’s beginning, but its effects, and the attempts to lift it are what drive the plot of the novel.

    A good read, Caz is an entertaining and likeable character, and the plot itself will keep you reading.

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    Dee said on Oct 27, 2006 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

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