The Curse of Chalion, a review

There are two types of readers that I've met in recent years. The first are readers who were born readers. They carried a book between classes in school. They own a tower of paperbacks, and have boxes of them stuffed into corners. These readers can't remember a time they haven't had a novel near at hand. Just ask. They probably have a book nearby right now.

The second type of reader is the newer reader. Maybe they got into it with Fourth Wing or A Court of Thorns and Roses. These folks are really excited about their reading habit, having dipped their toe into the pool of literary possibilities. Often they are really excited about special edition books, and absolutely lose it over sprayed edges. These readers maybe listen to the curated Spotify playlist for the book they are enjoying. These readers know what "booktok" is.

I'm a fan of both kinds of readers. I enjoy chatting with both when I'm out and about. I am, to be clear, the first kind of reader (not that I don't also think sprayed edges on books are pretty cool. I do.) There is a good chance that if you are the first kind of reader, especially if you are a lifelong sci-fi/fantasy lover, and even more so if you are north of 40-ish in age, that you already know about Lois McMaster Bujold.

If you are A) the second kind of reader, B) younger than 40-ish, or C) not a lifelong sci-fi/fantasy reader... welcome, my friend. Let me tell you about a good one.

This is The Curse of Chalion. I must admit that I read this through for the third time in preparation for this review. I still love this book. It is funny in parts, serious in more. It made me cry during the first read-through. It will make you question the very meaning of "plot armor." It is a great escape read. If you are fan of historical fiction, you will likely note the interestingly accurate way this book depicts aspects of medieval life despite being an entirely fantastical setting.

And if you are new to Lois McMaster Bujold, this is your gateway book to a couple of written worlds that will grab you by the collar and not let go. Consider yourself warned!

So. What is this book about?

Here's the back of the book blurb:

"A man broken in body and spirit, Cazaril has returned to the noble household he once served as page, now as secretary-tutor to the strong-willed sister of the impetuous boy who is next in line to rule. It is an assignment Cazaril dreads, for it must ultimately lead him to the royal court, where the powerful enemies who once placed him in chains now occupy lofty positions. What Cazaril should fear, however, is otherworldly: a sinister curse hangs over the entire House of Chalion and all who stand in their circle. And only by employing the most forbidden of magics can Cazaril hope to protect his royal charge- an act that will mark him as a tool of the miraculous... and trap him, flesh and soul, in a maze of demonic paradox, damnation, and death."

We meet our main character, Cazaril, on the road to his childhood posting of Valenda, having no other "home" to return to. He is mistaken for an old man because he is so ill, hunched, and haggard. On the way, he takes cover in an abandoned old mill only to find a dead body inside. The dead man has died attempting death magic, a practice that calls down death from one of the five gods on the target of the instigator, which kills both the sender and the receiver of this magical justice.

Cazaril helps to burn the man, and takes his clothes in trade (which sounds repugnant to me, but would be a fair trade in a medieval setting). Back on the road, he arrives at the estate of the dowager Provincara of Valenda, a gracious older woman who remembers him as a boy and gives him a place in her household.

The Provincara is grandmother to the heir to the Chalion throne, and his older sister. Both of them are living with her, and she quickly decides to assign Cazaril to be a secretary-tutor to the older sister, the Royina Iselle. Having fought in several wars, travelled extensively, and as a former castillar, he has a good command of foreign languages, geography and accounting. Reluctantly, he accepts the position.

As the reader, I was attached to Cazaril pretty quickly. He is in his mid-thirties, but acts much older due to his injuries. I won't explain them, because that's an interesting part of the story to learn just how badly he's been abused up to this point (read: tragic backstory). He isn't a typical male lead for the modern reader. He isn't tall and handsome. He is smart and crafty, but instead of pretty courtly ways, he is rough, and at times, ruthless. If you are used to polished male leads that you'd like to daydream about in real life, Cazaril isn't likely to meet that brief. He talks about eating rats on more than one occasion, as an example of his un-swooniness.

Despite that, I was won over by his loyalty to Iselle. When she gets roped into a disastrous betrothal, Cazaril goes to extreme measures to get her out of it. The lengths he goes to to rescue her from her fate, her curse, only get more and more extreme as the story goes on.

I loved the complicated story line that, at times, seemed to circle back on itself. Every scene matters somewhere along the way, and it is not always apparent why or how until the bitter end. Even his "tragic backstory" is relevant, and not just to make him seem more tragic, or to excuse bad behavior, which I see a lot these days.

I also loved how Bujold approaches religion. In these books, religion isn't an automatic evil. It isn't automatically good, either. It simply is. A refreshing take in a world that often jams in pseudo-Catholicism and makes it the Big Evil without much reason other than just because. This is something I'm guilty of, though I hope with more thoughtfulness. It was interesting to see religion handled in a serious way, with explainable rules, miracles, theology and even ideas of what it means to be a saint.

I also really like that while Cazaril is arguably a "chosen one" character, you in no way want to be him. Being "the chosen one" in this story is a nightmare! You don't feel that he is guaranteed to survive. In fact, there are places that the number of remaining pages are the only reason you think he will still be on the next page.

Now, for some trigger warnings. Cazaril is a bit suicidal. He is a little mad with it at different points of the story. While this did not bother me to read, it might be difficult for some readers.

There are a number of animal deaths. While they are treated with appropriate horror, that might still be too much for some.

Also, there is a big age-gap romance. While it is definitely not the main storyline, or even the secondary one, it is there. The fact remains that there is a romance between two characters with a 16 year age difference. I should point out that the older party does everything in his power to get her attached to someone else because he knows he's too old for her. Still, it's there and it happens. I, personally, don't like these big age gaps in romantic stories, but I find them all of the time. It's not a new thing either. I find them as common in older books as the new ones.

The Curse of Chalion was published in 2001, originally, though it has had some reprints. It is followed by Palladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt. There are other series set in the same world, though in a different time period. I have read all of The Curse of Chalion set, but not very much of the other. While I love The Curse of Chalion, I didn't enjoy Palladin of Souls as much. The third installment I liked, but it felt like a separate book instead of a follow-up to the first two, as it is set in a different country and time period. You could definitely read it after The Curse of Chalion, and skip Palladin, if you were so inclined.

Lois McMaster Bujold has won a whole pile of awards for her writing. Probably her most popular series is a sci-fi series called The Vorkosigan Saga. I'm slowly working my way through those books, of which there are many, and I have enjoyed what I've read so far. My favorite series by Lois McMaster Bujold is The Sharing Knife series. The first one, Beguilement, I've probably read four times. In fact, it was a significant influence on my own work, Lightwalkers.

Tell me, are you interested in The Curse of Chalion? Or maybe a different one by the same author? Let me know in the comments!

If you think this book might be for you, here is a link to my copy for sale!

Below are other links to this book for sale on other sites.

Thriftbooks

Better World Books

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