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The Curse of Chalion - by Lois McMaster Bujold
We follow the hero, Cazaril, as he transforms from a broken man to a valued adviser and (spoiler) saint. I
ran a little hot and cold on this book, though in any case have to admire the writing of Bujold who is clearly
equally comfortable writing action scenes as she is writing plodding dramas. The pacing of the 400+ page book
was deliberate and steady, though by no means breathtaking, and for a long stretch of the early middle I was
convinced that I was trapped in another "Among Others" scenario where the plot was going to consist of a slice
of life view into one person's experiences. We do end up getting a lot more to chew on, thankfully, and the
pacing picks up as the book draws to a close, providing plenty of excitement and nicely tying up the threads
that were started earlier on.
After reading "Primary Colors" I learned that I truly have no interest in politics, and that reading a long
book about it falls squarely into the 'dull'category for me. A large portion of this book deals with court
politics, maneuvering, and the relationships between the various houses (kingdoms?) which - when it really
gets into it - I find difficult going. I know that some people really dig this, and I feel it was probably
well done, so good job - but it wasn't a real hook for me. Thankfully, as mentioned above, we get some
additional plot upon which to hang our hat, and that ended up snatching this read from the jaws of defeat.
I've long since had an unreasonable bias against Fantasy titles, thinking that they were far and away my less
favorite of the far-too-summarized options of "sci-f vs. fantasy". Participating in the Sword and Laser book
club is an effort to shake this bias. My great concern for much of this book was that this feeling was being
confirmed spectacularly, and while I clearly devoured it less quickly than other recent SciFi titles, I will
admit to warming to the main character and being invested in his outcome. It was a nice change - especially
after watching too much Anime - to spend time with a protagonist who is a grown man, with experience and
history and a view on the world that is a little more three dimensional. The development and constant
usage of a 5-pointed religious system is also very well done, and I found myself enthralled by "The Bastard"
(basically, the devil but in a form that it's ok to worship - like a faith which accepts the baser parts
of humanity) and the mores surrounding that aspect of daily life and special ceremony.
Overall - slow parts and politics not withstanding - an enjoyable read with interesting religious ruminations
and characters. If you're into this genre, give it a shot.
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