The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember a few decades ago reading Bujold’s The Spirit Ring when it was new. At the time I thought it a fine story and she a very talented author. Then I kind of quite reading heroic fantasy for a long, long time. The Curse of Chalion has reminded me just how great the genre can be and what a fantastic author Bujold is.

This book is such a fine mix of a very well developed fantasy world, complex theology, political intrigue, and action/adventure that anyone who appreciates fantasy literature is almost sure to like it. It is a deep character study, following Cazaril as he goes from a nearly crippled, penniless vagabond to a god-touched player in Chalion’s court. There are good men, evil men, ghosts, demons, gods and goddesses, and even a little of a love story at work here, with one elements never dominating, but all working together to create a wonderful story.

Bujold tells her story in a straight-forward style that never feels stripped down and never really leaves the reader wondering for the point of view of any other character. She has, without a doubt, one of the best voices in modern fantasy.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Or relate how thrilled I am to find that Bujold has given us more books dealing with the five gods. By the Bastard’s balls, I look forward to reading them all very soon!

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