The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. Review by Violet Kane

I always hear good things about Lois McMaster Bujold, but so far I've had only disappointing experiences with her books. The Curse of Chalion was no exception.

The main protagonist of this novel is Cazaril, a soldier and courtier in Chalion, who has just returned to the household where he used to serve after escaping bondage in foreign captivity. While the slavery and torture is now behind him, he is returning to a world where he may very well have unknown enemies—enemies who betrayed him into slavery in the first place. He finds a commission at his former household as a tutor for the young royesse, Iselle, and her lady-in-waiting, Bertriz. But he's going to have to do more than just tutor them—this is a world of magic and politics and the girls are going to need his help to navigate the treacherous social terrain.

On Audio

I certainly have to give Bujold credit for telling a character-driven story here. Though, my main problem with this story is that it lacks any sort of immediacy for me. For much of the first half of this book, I had a hard time discerning what was at stake for these characters; the unfolding of this tale is slow and the driving conflict of the characters is not apparent. This may very well be a case of too much character development. I felt like I was watching the characters interact without reason for doing so. Ultimately I feel the first several chapters of this novel fail to answer the all-important question for readers: "So what?" Why read on? The story picks up toward the middle of this novel, but why do we have to wait so long?

There is an audiobook available for The Curse of Chalion, but it is difficult to find. If you happen upon it, pick it up because it's a solid production.

DISCUSS CURSE OF CHALION ON ARWZ.

Violet "Violanthe" Kane is the Webmaster and Founder of ARWZ.com. She is an editor of ARWZ Literary Zine and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Medieval studies.

Buy the Cover? (7/15)
07/15/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 12:55 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Favorite Setting
07/07/2010

Author: SKS Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 3:09 pm Do you prefer stories that take place... in a city? In a rural area? On a beach? In a small town? In a foreign country? etc. etc? read more

Buy the Cover? (7/6)
07/06/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 4:01 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

The Price you Pay
06/23/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:20 pm How much is too much for a book or DVD? How much will you pay for your favorite author or show? read more

Buy the Cover? (6/23)
06/23/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:17 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Do you go to your library?
06/22/2010

Author: SKS Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:26 pm Do you use your local library? How often? read more

Buy the Cover? (6/22)
06/22/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:23 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Didn't sit well
06/17/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:29 pm Have you read or watched anything lately that just didn't sit well with you? Something that bothered you or kept you thinking? read more

Buy the Cover? (6/17)
06/17/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:26 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Covers you Remember
06/14/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:59 pm What book covers stick out in your mind? Do you have a favorite book from the past whose cover you found particularly striking? Do you remember first seeing the cover of a now-favorite book as you first glimpsed it in the... read more

Buy the Cover? (6/14)
06/14/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:57 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Author Nationality
06/14/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:55 pm Well, of course we are all bound to read more of authors who speak our own languages. It's harder to come across others who write in different languages simply because the middle man of translator is necessary. A book has to... read more

Politics in fiction
05/12/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:50 pm Do you like fiction with a political message, either blatant or underlying? read more

Multi-viewpoint stories
05/12/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 12:48 pm I don't know if they're rare, because I see them a lot, especially in fantasy, but maybe done well they are rare. I don't know that first person is that common either, but rather third person limited. I've gotten some flak... read more

Buy the Cover? (5/10)
05/10/2010

Author: Violanthe Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 1:02 pm Look at the following cover. Imagine that you have only the cover and the information it provides (including images, title and author name) to decide whether to buy this (or any) book. Would you buy this book having looked... read more

Alternative Reality Web Zine: ISSN# 1559-3037

All materials on these pages (including fiction, poetry, essays, articles, interviews and opinion pieces) are copyrighted to the original authors and may not be reproduced without permission.

View Page Stats