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The Curse of Chalion

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The Curse of Chalion

By: Lois McMaster Bujold
Narrated by: Lloyd James
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About this listen

 Lord Cazaril has been, in turn, courtier, castle-warder, and captain; now he is but a crippled ex-galley slave seeking nothing more than a menial job in the kitchens of the Dowager Provincara, the noble patroness of his youth. But Cazaril finds himself promoted to the exalted and dangerous position of tutor to Iselle, the beautiful, fiery sister of the heir to Chalion's throne.

Amidst the decaying splendor and poisonous intrigue of Chalion's ancient capital, Cazaril is forced to confront not only powerful enemies but also the malignant curse that clings to the royal household, trapping 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.

©2004 Lois McMaster Bujold (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Romance Fiction

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Critic reviews

"Bujold weaves a convincing and captivating fantasy world, well researched, with magic that works and gods that live without destroying the balance of this medieval society....A finely balanced mixture of adventure, swordplay, court intrigue, romance, magic, and religion makes this book a delightful read." ( School Library Journal)
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Very beloved by many. Adult twist on a fairytale. I found it quite a tame read, nice enough, and not at all grim. I didn't agree with the hype this book has got, I didn't find it brilliant, just very good. Well worth the read/listen.

Very beloved by many. Adult twist on a fairytale.

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One of my very favourite books and so beautifully read. Best not to listen to when you are driving I was so engrossed I drove 30 miles out of my way to finish it.

Beautifully read

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Superb fantasy with a believable world, beautifully built, excellent characters and great story. Bujold is a great author.

Brilliant world building

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Cazaril, once courtier, courier/spy, captain and castle warder, now homeless, hungry and ragged, is a broken man, physically and mentally, seeking only a quiet refuge in a place in which he was once happy. To his surprise and extreme gratitude he is installed in the household of the Dowager Provincara, charged with the task of being tutor-secretary to her granddaughter Iselle, lively sister of the heir to Chalion's throne.



Thus begins a sequence of events that takes Caz back to the capital, a seething hotbed of poisonous intrigue with a weak and sickly ruler and an ambitious chancellor. Murder, greed and betrayal are commonplace, but there are unexpected allies as well. A shadow hangs over the ruling house, also threatening Iselle and her brother. Gradually Caz unravels the origins of a curse, but not without deadly danger and drawing the attention of the Five Gods down on himself.



Why do I like this book so much? Though it has plot in spades, the characterisation is what lifts it above the ordinary. Caz gradually rebuilds himself throughout the book despite, or perhaps partly because of being an unwitting tool of the gods. He never sees himself as extraordinary, even though he does extraordinary things. He retains integrity and honour and has a deep internal moral compass, yet he's not stuffy and owns a wry sense of humour.



There's a love story in this too: true it's very subtle and on first reading you hardy notice it, but it plays out well.



The story is a study of how one quiet but determined man can effect great change. It's a dialogue between free-will and divine intervention. Where does one stop and the other start?



Bujold never disappoints, and of all her books this is my favourite. I wasn't sure I liked Lloyd James' narration to start off with (the American accent jarred a little) but it quickly grew on me. Highly recommended in both written and audio format.

My Favourite Bujold Fantasy

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This is the first book by Lois McMaster Bujold I've listened to and I am now a fan. She has created a cast of believable characters for an intriguing story set in a world that has depth and colour. Lloyd James does a great job of the narration.

Gripping from beginning to end

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I love this book and the sequel, Paladin of Souls. Mostly the reading is very good, and does capture the emotions well. However, sometimes he does voices/accents which are a bit overdone, eg the "yokel" accent near the beginning of part 2. And, annoyingly, the reader occasionally stresses or breaks up the sentences in a way that makes a nonsense of what is being said - I'm not clear why as mostly it's good. As I say, a very good book, but not the ideal reading of it.

Great book, reading a bit patchy

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I was a little nervous about listening to this book, as I read it years ago, and loved it, and didn't want it ruined by a poor narrator. I had never heard of Lloyd James, and so wasn't sure what to expect. It was magical. Mr James didn't so much narrate this book, as he performed it, and he did a wonderful job of it. As I said, I read the book years ago, and so was familiar with the story, so I knew that I would enjoy it. I can't praise the audio version of this book highly enough. The other two books in the Chalion series, "Paladin of Souls," which for me was ruined by Kate Reading, and "The Hallowed Hunt," passably well read by Marguerite Gavin, will most likely end up being returned. I wish that Lloyd James had been the narrator of the other two books, I might have kept them if that had been the case. I will be looking out for more books performed by Lloyd James, who is now among my favourite narrators.

A Keeper:-}

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Slow at first but never dull, the story builds irresistibly to an awesome conclusion. Characters are strong and well rounded and the whole thing is a joyous rollercoaster.

I enjoyed the reading, injecting plenty of personality, if a tiny bit over the top in places.

Excellent story, well read

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I was sold from the start on the protagonist, a disabled older man whom we meet as a vagabond on the road, frightened by the prospect of younger, stronger soldiers or bandits who could easily overpower him. It's a refreshing departure from the typical 90s fantasy hero. The opening chapter full of magic, ritual, and mysterious untimely death was also an attention grabber. It seemed immediately up my street and I hope I'll finish it as happily as I started.

The narrator does the material no justice. Other people have complained about his mouth noises. Mercifully I can't hear them, but he seems bored by the novel he's reading. He reads too fast and enunciates poorly, making it hard to follow what he's saying. I had to slow the playback speed to 0.95x in order to keep up.

I assume he's reading faithfully from the text, but every time he comes across an "um" or "er" in the main character's dialogue, instead of interpreting it naturally he reads it out exactly as it's wrote. Combined with the tired monotone he puts on for the main character, he sounds like an actor constantly forgetting his lines and makes the main character utterly devoid of charisma or charm. He reads exciting scenes about gore and action in the same bored tone he reads about the main character watching laundry.

He also pronounces the main character's name "Kazeril" as "casserole". It's difficult to take that seriously.

I'd pay good money to hear this novel read by the likes of Ralph Lister or Michael Page. I'm a few chapters in and I might slog through the narration for the story, but might well just get a physical copy of the book.

Interesting premise, unenthusiastic narrator

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Loved the pace of the stories within the main story. The relatable characters, their defining attributes; both the major characters and even the ones who appeared once, or just casually mentioned in passing. Without a shadow of a doubt a story I enjoy reading or listening more than once.

How the past, paves the way ahead.

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