The Curse of Chalion

By: Lois McMaster Bujold

Narrated by: Lloyd James

Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

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

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)

Good book, bad narrator

I know I liked the book when I read it initially. The narrator does not fit well with the story. He sounds clipped, or bored, but not particularly involved. His accents are fleeting and inconsistent. Occasionally, the accents are just strange, like when he drops into a southern drawl. Really? In a book with a castle on its cover and a prince and princess as main characters? Unfortunately, the reading is so discordant that I struggled to listen.
The world Bujold creates is complete and consistent. The plot is intriguing and the characters worth meeting.

Excellent Series,, Very different,

Any additional comments?

Not your standard hero story, , from where this story starts to where it finishes is a great ride. I like a deep plot with lots of twists

Unassuming hero,, uses his brain instead of the sword. I just finished the second book and it is as good as the first. I am downloading the Third..

I highly Recommend this series..... even if the 3rd book sucks the first two make it worth the credits.

Slow start but worth the wait

At first the readers voice was a bit annoying and the story was slow to develop but once the story began to take shape the voice actually fit the character perfectly. It was not fantasy on a high level in terms of magic and tolkien type imagery but rather a simpler story that developed the characters and helped the reader to understand the times and the lay of the land. The chivalry and etiquette of the time was interesting as compared to todays lack of loyalty and humility so it was refreshing. I could not wait to here what would happen next to lift the curse from Chalion and I felt I wished the book would go on and on rather than ending. Great read!

Another grate book by a Grate author

I have been a fan of Bujold's work for years, but this shows that she is not simply a good science fiction writer, She is simply a Great Writer in all forms, She has a way of making you care about the world and the people she creates. She dose this in all her books, This is no exception.

Fantastic fantasy - original, involved, exciting

This is really original fantasy. Lois Bujold writes great stories, characters you want to have for friends (except the enemies who, themselves, are drawn believably) and worlds of imagination.

Lois doesn't just rehash the same old ogres, elves, etc., that are the staples of so many fantasy writers - she creates something new and fascinating.

The Curse of Chalion won the Hugo Award for the the Best SF/Fantasy of its year as voted by the fans - and it was well deserved.

Lloyd James did a REALLY GOOD job of narrating this. He has developed greatly as a narrator and his voices, emotion, pacing, . . . everything, were really appropriate to the content of the story.

Sci Fi/Fantacy? Good listen, Yes

The Curse of Chalion is a well written book with very well defined characters, plots and story lines. This story can of course be classified as fantasy with it's few instances of magic, but I found it to be more a description of mediaeval life with the typical superstitions of the time. Weather it's fantasy or history you will enjoy if you like a well written story.

Excellent performance of an excellent book

Would you listen to The Curse of Chalion again? Why?

Yes, I would listen to The Curse of Chalion again. This book is a favorite of mine, and even though I have probably read it at least 5 times in paperback form, I *still* found myself drawn in to this recording. I would sit in my car when my commute was over, because I had gotten to a good part of the recording.

This is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. If you like science fiction and fantasy; and you also like complex, layered characters; masterful worldbuilding; and meticulous plotting... Well, you can hardly do better than Lois McMaster Bujold. And The Curse of Chalion is Bujold at her best.

This is the story of Cazaril, a man of deep character who has had his life utterly broken through a really nasty betrayal. Through this book, we see how Cazaril's principled actions result in the thorough defeat of his nemesis, plus (of course) the saving of the world and the lifting of a curse. And does he get the girl? Well, you'll just have to give it a listen and find out.

Have you listened to any of Lloyd James’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I believe this was the first time I've listened to this narrator. I would certainly be happy to listen to a performance of his again. He captured the characters very well, to my ear. Each character had a distinctive voice, which the narrator performed consistently throughout. Overall, an excellent performance.

Great Plot and Setting

Despite a somewhat grim beginning (made more so by the narrator's voice - you do grow to see the voice is perfect for the character), the novel takes many a twisted and delightful twist shortly after introducing the major players. Set in a Spanish-like setting, the plot grows greatly while following the redemption of the main character. Highly recommended.

Great addition to the genre

I like fantasy stories, just not the cast-molded Lord of the Rings derivatives; fortunately The Curse of Chalion stands out from the clones in large part to the unique mythology in the story. The self-effacing protagonist is impossible to dislike, and the prose is clean and enjoyable.



I would give it five stars if not for the simple good/evil character alignment.That being said, it is well worth a listen if you like the genre and are looking for something fresh. I am excited to listen the next book in the series.

Woohoo!

Nobody writes quite like Lois McMaster Bujold, with such a combined intricacy of plot, depth of character, and exploration of that which makes us human. And Lloyd James's performance is exquisitely nuanced. Both the book and the narration are precisely crafted pleasures.